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.
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Naya was reported missing early on July 8th after disappearing while renting a boat with her four-year-old son, Josey.
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 .
Naya’s love of being a mom and her love for Josey was evident to all of her fans.
“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.”
Naya often spoke about how much she loved her son.
“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.”
In the same interview, Naya noted that what had surprised her the most about motherood was “how truly selfless you become.”
“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.”
Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub has spoken about what he believes transpired that day based on the evidence they have.
“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 .
“We know from speaking with her son, that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey.”
“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.”
Ayub added that “there are a lot of currents on the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon.”
“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.
Fans and friends of Naya have been sharing memories of her with Josey.
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.
Fans have been celebrating Naya’s bravery.
“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.
