A search is underway to find Naya Rivera who went missing on Lake Piru after renting a pontoon boat on Wednesday afternoon.
The actress, who is known for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez in the musical comedy series Glee, is feared dead after her four-year-old son was found alone on a boat in Southern California.
Hours after a search started, Naya’s G-Wagon was found in the parking lot near the boat rental company, and her purse was inside.
Naya and her son Josey Hollis, hired the boat around 1pm, however, three hours later another person, who was also sailing on the water, raised the alarm after seeing the watercraft adrift and the child asleep on board.
Naya’s G-Wagon was found in the parking lot near the boat rental company, and her purse was inside. (Image: RMG News / MEGA)
Local police discovered Naya’s life vest on board, believing the 33-year-old “did go into the lake'” and said, “this may well be a case of drowning”.
A search operation is currently underway and is set to continue at first light. Her body has yet to be located.
Authorities believe Rivera to be “presumed drowned’, according to Captain Eric Buschow, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
Naya and her son Josey Hollis rented a pontoon boat at 1pm, but the alarm was raised three hours later when her son was found alone on the vessel (Image: REUTERS)
“Approximately three hours after they left the dock another boater out on the lake discovered the boat drifting with the [son] on board asleep,” they said.
“So they contacted the rangers and began an investigation and we’ve been actively searching for the mother since that time. We have both aerial search going on and our dive team as well.
“The [son] said that he had been swimming with his mother and that she got back in the boat and her mum didn’t.
A search operation is currently underway and will resume at first light (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“We know that the [boy] had a life vest on, there was another adult life vest found on the boat. It’s somewhat challenging interviewing a three-year-old.
“We’re going on the belief that she did go in the water, and we’ve not been able to locate her. This may well be a case of drowning.
“This is a big reservoir, it’s deep, these kinds of things happen. We don’t know all the circumstances. Investigators are working on that, getting as much information as possible.”
Officials spoke to NBC Los Angeles and explained that Rivera’s disappearance was “considered to be a horrible accident”, saying there was no suspicion of foul play.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
