Naya Rivera May Have "Mustered Enough Energy" To Save Her 4-Year-Old Son "But Not Herself," Authorities Said
During a press conference, authorities said they believe Rivera's unanchored boat began drifting and that she "mustered enough energy to get her son back into the boat, but not enough to save herself".
Authorities investigating the death of Glee actor Naya Rivera have said they think she may have drowned after "muster[ing] enough energy" to save her 4-year-old son, but "not herself".
Rivera disappeared during a boating trip last week, with authorities confirming on Monday night that her body had been found during their recovery mission on Lake Piru in California. She was 33.
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Rivera had rented a pontoon boat on Wednesday, July 8. Her 4-year-old son, Josey, was later found alone and asleep on the boat by another boater on the lake. A life jacket, believed to have been Rivera's, was found onboard along with her identification.
After a search lasting five days, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub confirmed on Monday night that a body had been found — and that authorities were "confident" it was Rivera's based on its condition and physical characteristics.
Ayub provided more information about the possible circumstances surrounding Rivera's death.
"We know from speaking with her son that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey," Ayub said. "It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind. He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water."
In response to a reporter's question about how Rivera had managed to get her son back onto the boat but not herself, Ayub said she'd probably depleted all of her energy saving him.
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"There are a lot of currents on the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon," he explained. "We believe it was mid-afternoon when she disappeared. The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back into the boat, but not enough to save herself."
Robert Inglis, of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team, confirmed that Rivera had sent a photo of Josey to a family member around two hours before he was discovered alone on the pontoon boat.
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Explaining that the authorities had used details in photos and FaceTime calls from Rivera to family members while she was on the lake as reference points during their search, he said: "There was a picture sent to a family member that showed the boy on the boat by a cove. We found where that cove was."
According to the timestamp on the photo, it was taken around 90 minutes to two hours before Josey was found alone on the boat.