After 4 days, still no sign of ‘Glee’ actress
Jake Sheridan, Alejandra Reyes-velarde and Ben Poston
LOS ANGELES — The search to find “Glee” TV show star Naya Rivera in a Southern California lake resumed Sunday, authorities said.
The Ventura County sheriff’s office said last Thursday that they believe Rivera, 33, drowned in Lake Piru, northwest of Los Angeles. Her body had not been found by late Sunday afternoon.
Rivera’s 4-year-old son was discovered alone on a rented pontoon boat that Rivera had rented for them Wednesday.
The boy, who was found asleep and wearing a life vest, told investigators that he and his mother went swimming and he got back on the boat, but “his mom never made it out of the water,” Sgt. Kevin Donoghue of the sheriff ’s office said.
Divers, helicopters, drone aircraft and cadaver dogs have been trying to locate Rivera for four days. Officials said Saturday they have also used sonar equipment but said visibility in the lake is poor. The depths of Lake Piru range from 10 to 90 feet, creating other challenges.
“Our goal is to bring the family closure,” Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Marta Bugarin told reporters. “It’s a traumatic time for them. They’re devastated, obviously.”
Rivera gained praise for her performance as a gay cheerleader in the high school musical drama “Glee.”
Security video footage released by the Ventura County sheriff’s office showed the actress and her son boarding the rental boat by themselves and heading out onto the lake about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The pontoon boat soon became a spot on the lake’s horizon.
Hours later, after she hadn’t returned the boat on time, staff of the rental business went out to search for her. At 4:47 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a call from a woman who said, “We have a missing person. We found a little girl in one of the boats by herself and her mom is nowhere to be found.” The girl the woman spoke of was in fact Rivera’s little boy.