Naya Rivera's untimely death is truly a tragedy that has devastated her fans, loved ones, and former co-workers. Naya was only 33 when she drowned while renting a boat on Lake Piru in California with her four-year-old son, Josey.
The police involved in the case now believe that Naya's last acts were heroic ones, prioritizing saving her son's life over her own.
Naya was reported missing when the boat was discovered with only her son on board. While the search went on for five days, on July 13th, a body was reported as recovered from the water that was eventually confirmed to be Naya.
"I'm a mom now, and what I love more than acting is being Josey's mom. So, I want to be here for him. And I don't want to miss anything," Naya had told ET in 2016. "I'm going to navigate the right way to do that."
“The love I get from him. Little things like the two kisses he stood up and gave me last night to say thank you for making him mac and cheese from scratch,” Naya once said. “It’s a love never found anywhere or with anyone else.”
“I hope to instill good morals and values in him,” Naya said of Josey. “I want to teach him to be confident but kind, strong but not proud, and to always be in love with life.”
"Naya’s son was later found asleep on the boat, which was adrift in a northern portion of the lake known as 'The Narrows' ... when a leasing agent searched for the watercraft, which was overdue with return. The young boy was wearing a life vest when he was found, and he was wrapped in a towel," Ayub explained.
"It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind," Ayub continued. "He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water."
"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," Ayub suggested.
Amber Riley, Naya's Glee co-star, shared a video of Naya and Josey singing a sweet song together that Naya had previously shared on her social media.
"She loved that baby boy more than anything. i hope he grows up knowing he was her number one priority," one fan tweeted.
Our thoughts are with Naya's family, friends, and loved ones during this tragic time, and we are incredibly grateful that Josey is safe.
