The search for Naya Rivera has come to a tragic end. The actress was confirmed dead by authorities on Monday, July 13, five days after she went missing on a California lake.
This news comes just hours after the Ventura County Sheriff’s department said that a body had been found at Lake Piru. During a press conference, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said the body, which they are “confident” is that of Rivera’s, was discovered floating at the surface of the lake by personnel searching by boat early Monday morning.
“Based on the location where the body was found, physical characteristics of the body, clothing found of the body and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported in the area, we are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera,” Ayub said.
An autopsy will be conducted to confirm a cause of death and a positive identification of Rivera’s remains will be made through dental records.
The depth of the water where Rivera’s body was located is between 35 and 60 feet deep. The lake bed is covered with heavy brush and trees.
Capt. Eric Buschow also told E! News exclusively that Rivera’s Glee “cast members and friends gathered for a prayer at the water’s edge just before the body was found.”
On Wednesday, July 8, the Glee star went missing while boating with her young son on Lake Piru, a reservoir located about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said authorities were called to Lake Piru when a child, later identified as 4-year-old Josey Dorsey, was found alone on a boat.
