Naya Rivera used the last of her energy to save her son, US officials have suggested, after the star’s body was found.
The late actress’ body was recovered from Lake Piru earlier today, six days after the 33-year-old was first declared missing.
Describing her final moments, Ventura County official, Sheriff Bill Ayub, said: “It would be speculation to say at this point there are a lot of currents in the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon.
“We believe it was mid-afternoon when she disappeared, the idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting. It was unanchored.
“She mustered enough energy to get her son back on the boat but not enough energy to save herself.”
Police claim Naya used the last of her energy to save her son (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Sheriff Ayub claimed that Rivera’s son, Josey Hollis, four, watched his mother disappear into the water after she helped him on to the boat.
The mother and son had gone swimming in the lake, which is a popular spot for water sports and recreational activities.
Rivera had also FaceTimed family members throughout the afternoon and sent a photo of her son to a relative before she went missing.
Naya shared a heartbreaking final photograph with her son on Instagram before she went missing (Image: Instagram/nayarivera)
The Sheriff’s Department official added: “We know from speaking with her son that he and Maya swam in the lake at some point in the day.
“He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water.”
Sheriff Ayub added: “The young boy was wearing a life vest when he was found, he was wrapped in a towel. An adult-sized life vest was found on the boat.”
Sheriff Bill Ayub confirmed Naya Rivera’s body had been recovered (Image: CBS)
Confirming the body discovered was that of Rivera, he went on: “Based on the location where the body was found, physical characteristics of the body, clothing found on the body, and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area, we are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera.”
Mr Ayub said the fact that no other missing people have been reported similarly contributed to their decision.
Police say their investigation has led them to believe “there was no indicant of foul play and no indication this was a suicide”.
Rivera became a missing person on Wednesday, July 8, after her son was found floating alone on her rented boat on the reservoir, which is located at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest.
Rivera’s body was recovered from the lake in California
On the day she went missing, Rivera texted a photo of Josey to a relative 90 minutes before he was found, which helped the search team to locate her body.
With the search spanning six days, the rescue team recovered her body in a “northeastern portion of the lake,” near the surface of the water earlier today.
The Sheriff’s Department official confirmed Rivera’s body had been found “floating near the surface of the water,” which was “part of the reason we were able to find her today”.
Rivera’s body had been difficult to find, due to the presence of heavy brush in the water, scaling heights of 15 to 20 feet below the surface.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
