In this Jan. 13, 2018, file photo, Naya Rivera participates in the "Step Up: High Water" panel during the YouTube Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif.
Updated 5:17 pm ET
The body of Glee star Naya Rivera was found Monday at a Southern California lake, authorities said.
Ventura County Sheriff's officials confirmed at an afternoon news conference that the body that search crews found floating in the northeast corner of Lake Piru earlier in the day was the 33-year-old Rivera.
The discovery came five days after the 33-year-old Rivera disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son was found July 8 asleep and alone on a rented pontoon boat, authorities said.
Authorities said the following day that they believed Rivera had drowned, and they had shifted to working to find her body rather than find her alive.
The body was flown 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the coroner's office in Ventura, where an autopsy would be conducted, Sheriff's Capt. Eric Buschow said. Rivera's family has been notified of the discovery.
The lake an hour's drive from Los Angeles was searched by dozens of divers working in waters with little visibility, with help from sonar and robotic devices combing the bottom and helicopters and drones searching above.
"I can't imagine what it's like for her parents, her family," Buschow said. "It takes an emotional toll on the search teams too."
Rivera played singing cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons on the Fox musical-comedy Glee.
She is the third major cast member from the show to die in their 30s.
The confirmation of her death comes seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin, with the series losing one of its leads while it was still on the air.
Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Rivera had experience boating on the lake in Los Padres National Forest, authorities said.
Surveillance video shows Rivera and her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, leaving on the rented boat.
When the boat failed to return, its vendor found the vessel drifting in the northern end of the lake late Wednesday afternoon with the boy asleep on board, about three hours after it was first taken out. The boy told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming and he got back into the boat but she didn't, according to a sheriff's office statement.
The boy was wearing a life vest, and another life jacket was found in the boat along with Rivera's purse and identification.
The boy, Rivera's son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and quickly reunited with family members after he was found, authorities said.
His parents divorced in 2018 after nearly four years of marriage.
The most recent tweet on Rivera's account, from the day before her death, read "just the two of us" along with a photo of her and her son.
With the New Year just around the corner, many people will be making new health and fitness goals. However, after the initial January push, it's easy to drop your resolutions and go back to your old habits. Joan Ifland, CEO of Food Addiction Reset, discusses her best tips for following through with New Year's Resolutions.
Despite the pandemic and the home workout revolution, many brick and mortar fitness companies have been able to stay afloat. Some even increased their membership during the pandemic, including Crunch Fitness. The Crunch franchise is celebrating 128% growth from pre-COVID membership levels as its 400th club enters pre-sale. Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Franchise, joined Cheddar to discuss how the company has been able to succeed during this time.
The pandemic prompted a shift toward personalized at-home workouts, and made health and wellness even more of a priority. In the early months of the pandemic, sales for fitness equipment, shoes and apparel skyrocketed as people adapted to working out in the solitude of their own homes. Even as gyms have reopened, some of these trends have stuck around. Jillian Michaels, personal trainer and creator of The Fitness App by Jillian Michaels, joined Cheddar to discuss the home workout revolution and give her advice on how to stick to your 2022 fitness goals.
A recent report finds that from March 2020 to September 2021, a total of 10,370 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander persons were reported to 'STOP AAPI HATE,' a non-profit organization that tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against AAPI in the U.S. Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance & co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
When you take a look at American universities, you’ll find one thing most have in common, besides crazy high tuitions. If you look closely, you’ll notice that most of them look quite similar – like they’re straight out of the Middle Ages. Funny thing is, most of these school were established in the 1800s. So if these universities aren't as old...why is their architecture?
Carlo and Baker preview President Biden's address to the nation as Omicron becomes the new dominant Covid strain. Plus, Trump gets booed for getting his booster and the White House gets a new puppy.
Both AMC and Cinemark shares rose Friday after a pandemic-era record number of moviegoers attended the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' opening night. The movie is expected to pull at least $150 million in box office sales opening weekend. But is this momentum enough for theater chains as the COVID-19 omicron variant poses new threats? Daniel Loria, Editorial Director at Boxoffice PRO, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The billionaire space race took off in 2021, making major strides in space tourism. That growth is only expected to skyrocket in the next year, as the government and private institutions and companies look to shape the final frontier's exploration. Cheddar News dives into the biggest moments of the year in space, and what comes next for space travel and tourism.
Chloe and Halle Bailey are no strangers to hard work. The sisters got their start performing covers on YouTube and have become a force in the music industry. Since then, the two have spread their wings beyond their duo group to individual projects. Now they're coming together to face off in the LG OLED Ultimate Gaming Showdown. Chloe and Halle join Cheddar News to discuss.
