Several dive teams and cadaver dogs continued efforts to find actress Naya Rivera at Lake Piru on Saturday, four days after she presumably drowned during a boating trip with her 4-year-old son, officials said.
The 33-year-old “Glee” star rented a pontoon boat Wednesday at the Ventura County lake about an hour north of Los Angeles.
The boating vendor discovered the vessel in an area about 30 feet deep after the boat didn’t return following the 3-hour rental period, officials said. The child was asleep on board, wearing a life jacket. Another life vest and Rivera’s purse and ID were on the boat as well, according to authorities.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigators later announced that Rivera likely drowned in what appeared to be a “tragic accident.” Her son has since been safely staying with family members, authorities said.
Officials shut down Lake Piru to the public as teams began to search the murky water. The operation continued into the weekend, when Sgt. Marta Bugarin said divers only had 1 to 2 feet of visibility.
In addition to cadaver dogs, crews used sonar equipment and an unmanned aerial unit to search the 2-square-mile lake.
The depth of the water ranges between 10 to 90 feet, Bugarin said.
The lake reopened on July 1 with some limits due to the pandemic but allowed swimming in designated areas, according to the United Water Conservation District. Bugarin said it’s unclear whether visitors were allowed to swim in the part of the lake where Rivera drowned.
The sergeant reiterated that investigators had no reason to suspect that Rivera acted out of the ordinary in the days leading to her disappearance.
The recovery teams planned to continue their search through the evening.
“Our goal is to bring the family closure,” Bugarin said. “It’s a traumatic time for them. They’re devastated, obviously, as you can imagine.”