Naya Rivera death was an accidental drowning, medical examiner rules

The Ventura County medical examiner on Tuesday determined the cause of death of “Glee” star Naya Rivera, whose body was found Monday in Lake Piru, was an accidental drowning.

Rivera disappeared Wednesday during a boat outing with her young son. Authorities have long believed her death was an accident.

“Based on the location where the body was found, the physical characteristics of the body, the clothing found on the body and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area, we are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera,” Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a Monday afternoon news conference.

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Cast members from the TV show “Glee” and friends of Naya Rivera gathered Monday morning at Lake Piru. The 33-year-old actress rented a pontoon boat Wednesday and had been swimming with her 4-year-old son, who was the last one to see her before she went missing.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue dive team located a body Monday morning in Lake Piru in the search for 33-year-old “Glee” actress Naya Rivera.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Cast members from the TV show “Glee” and friends held hands and shouted “Say her name: Naya” as they gathered Monday at the Lake Piru boat launch.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A pontoon boat rented by actress Naya Rivera is cordoned off with police tape Thursday at the marina at Lake Piru.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Searchers in a Ventura County helicopter scanned the shoreline Thursday for missing actress Naya Rivera.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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The Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue dive team returned to the marina Monday morning after locating a body believed to be Naya Rivera.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Boats return with rescuers on Lake Piru as it is learned that a Ventura County Sheriff’s dive team located a body.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Friends and co-workers of Naya Rivera gathered at the lake Monday.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Detectives have found no indication of foul play or that Rivera’s death was a suicide, he said.

The body was taken to the Ventura County medical examiner’s office, where an autopsy was performed and a positive identification was officially made using dental records, officials said. Officials found no signs of physical injury or disease during their examination. Investigators say there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved in Rivera’s death, but they did submit samples for toxicology tests.

Search teams found Rivera’s body about 9:10 a.m. floating in the northeastern portion of the lake, said Capt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. The area had been searched extensively by dive crews and with sonar equipment over the last several days.

California

Body of actress Naya Rivera found in Lake Piru, officials say

A body found in Lake Piru is that of actress Naya Rivera, who disappeared five days ago during a boat outing with her young son, authorities said Monday.

July 13, 2020

“That particular area, when it was searched by divers, they were literally crawling on hands and knees at the bottom of the lake attached by ropes so they could make their way back out because visibility is so poor,” Buschow said. “That gives you kind of an idea of what the conditions were like.”

Rivera’s body was probably submerged for days, concealed by the 15- to 20-foot-high trees and brush that grow on the bed of the lake, before surfacing Monday, he said.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.