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.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Yair Nechmad, Nayax CEO, discusses the future of cashless payments, and how cashless payments give retailers a competitive edge and allow merchants to scale business; Jason Thomas, Global CEO of Tappit, breaks down how the pandemic accelerated the transition to cash-free live events, and why that trend is here to stay; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Steam's 'Blockchain Revolution.'
With Thanksgiving two days away, the USDA is reminding hosts of the importance of food safety. Karen Hunter, Food Safety Expert, USDA, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the best food handling and leftover tips ahead of the holiday.
With millions of Americans set to host Thanksgiving this year, shoppers can expect to pay more at grocery stores, with the price of a thanksgiving meal up 14% from last year. According to the USDA, the average price of an 8- to 16-pound frozen turkey is up 21% from a year ago. Jay Jandrain, CEO, Butterball, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss how his company is being affected by supply chain challenges and rising prices.
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
If you’ve ever watched a show or movie where a character is unconscious for some reason - drowning, electrocution, stabbed in a knife fight - you probably know what to expect next. Some hero will come perform what looks like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a minute or two, perhaps in slow motion, and definitely with a dramatic musical score. And bing, bang, boom, the unconscious character miraculously comes back to life.
If you’ve ever suspected that this is a gross exaggeration of the efficacy of CPR, well, you’re right. But exactly how wrong Hollywood gets CPR is hilarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.
Brianna Wright, Senior Consumer Research Specialist at LendingTree, joins Cheddar to discuss how much Americans are expected to spend on Thanksgiving this year, and how millennials and gen-zers are taking over the holiday.
Special Olympics and WWE are announcing a three-year partnership extension of their global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics and WWE superstar and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Drew McIntyre join Cheddar News to talk about the announcement.
Gparency, a company that says its mission is to revolutionize the commercial mortgage industry, raised $15 million in its first funding round - representing the largest ever seed round in the commercial real estate space. Gparency's service will allow landlords and real estate developers to receive funding directly from banks, without the need for a mortgage broker. The company says its new approach will give power back to the consumer. Gparency founder and CEO Ira Zlotowitz joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
