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Police confirm they have found the body of Naya Rivera at Lake Piru

They said she saved her son's life but couldn't save her own

Police have confirmed that they have found the body of Naya Rivera at Lake Piru.

Since last Wednesday, the authorities have been searching for the Glee star, after she went missing on the lake in Southern California.

In a statement police said they found Naya in the same area she had been swimming in with her son, blaming “growth” in the water for why divers couldn’t find her until now.

The sad news comes just hours after the Glee cast were pictured coming together at the lake, in a poignant moment.

They added that they believed her body had been “concealed by shrubbery”.

The Glee cast came together at the lake Naya went missing in

 

Police added that they don’t believe there was “any foul play involved”.

While answering questions by the media, police said they believe Naya and her son both got caught in a current, and that she had “enough energy to muster her son back on to the boat but not save herself.”

They also confirmed Naya was not wearing a life jacket, but said an adult life jacket was found on the boat next to her son.

In a press conference they stated that Naya’s body was found “floating to the top” of the water.

They added that while swimming is allowed in the lake, it would not be that frequent.

Today is also the anniversary of their Glee co-star Corey Monteith, who died of an overdose in 2013.

Corey Monteith died in 2013 from an overdose

In the announcement police said Naya’s family has asked them to thank everyone who had helped in her search.

The Glee star was declared missing last Wednesday, after her son was found alone on a rented pontoon boat in the middle of Lake Piru in Southern California.

Over 24 hours after the authorities started searching for Naya, the rescue mission was shifted to a “recovery” mission.

Instagram

Last week, Sergeant Kevin Donoghue told PA: “Our first day was a rescue effort, it was a life-saving effort. We searched with people on the ground, on the shoreline. We were looking not just for her physically, we were looking for any clues, any evidence that suggested she made it to shore.”

“We didn’t find any clues, any evidence that suggested she made it to shore. The most conclusive piece of evidence we’re really holding on to right now is the statements from her son, the only witness.”

Naya and Josey

“He observed his mother disappear beneath the water. So we are very confident she is in the water and that at some point in time we will recover her from the lake.”

Sgt Donoghue added: “If we thought for a moment that there was any chance she could be on land somewhere, if we had any other clues or corroborating information that led us in that direction, we would do that and we would be out there searching and looking.”

After the search was switched to a recovery operation, police shared security footage of Naya and Josey arriving at Lake Piru on Wednesday afternoon.

Alongside the video, they wrote: “This is the recording from the security camera at the boat launch when Naya Rivera and her son arrived to rent a pontoon boat at Lake Piru. The video will show them departing the dock and travel north in the lake.”

In a statement last Thursday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said they believe Naya drowned in “what appears to be a tragic accident”.

They also confirmed that Naya had visited Lake Piru on previous occasions and was familiar with the area.

On the latest episode of Goss Chats, Ali Ryan chats to Ronan Keating about his star-studded upcoming music special, and working with Robbie Williams on a special new song dedicated to Stephen Gately.

#GossChats is sponsored by top aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve, which is now back open for bookings.

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