The actress Naya Rivera, known for her performance in the hit TV show “Glee,” is missing after the police found her 4-year-old son Josey wandering alone on a boat at Lake Piru in California. Officials suspect she may have drowned.
Rivera and her son arrived at the lake about 1 p.m. local time to rent a boat and were seen in the lake together early in the afternoon; Eric Buschow, captain of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC News.
Yet though, three hours after they left the port, another boat noticed a boy who appeared to be alone on board. The child was found unconscious, and the ship informed the authorities. Josey was wearing his life jacket; but an adult life jacket was found on the boat, indicating that Rivera was not using hers.
The boy assured authorities that he was swimming with his mother and that he was back in the boat, but his mother didn’t. Yet the facts are vague, and the cops admit it’s ‘challenging’ to interrogate a child.
Ventura County Deputy Sheriff Chris Dyer said Thursday that Lake Piru was a sanctuary for Naya. She was acquainted with the lake and she had been going there for years.
‘I was told that Naya Rivera had been coming here for years and that she was acquainted with the area. This might be a little sanctuary for her, especially on a Wednesday-nobody ‘s here on a Wednesday so it’s a good day to come. She leased a boat.
Deputy Sheriff Dyer added; ‘We don’t believe her to be gone, but right now it’s still a search and rescue operation, we’re searching not just the lake, but the shoreline as well. We aim for the best and brace for the worst. At this point, the senior officer said all the signs point to this being a terrible accident.
A diving and aerial rescue mission began immediately. But the Venture County Sheriff’s office said it had halted the search for Rivera, 33, overnight. The hunt for Rivera will start at first light.
Rivera’s car was found parked on the bridge by the shore, and her purse was located on the boat. Piru Lake is situated about 56 miles north of Los Angeles.
