The heartbreaking details of Naya Rivera’s final moments with her son Josey have been revealed through the investigative and autopsy report of the tragic incident. According to the report obtained by E! News, Rivera’s cause of death has been listed as an accidental drowning at Diablo Cove in Lake Piru on July 8th, the day she was reported missing. Her son Josey was found alone in their rental boat hours after it was supposed to be returned.
Investigators who interviewed Josey reported that he recounted how Rivera had jumped into the water after counting to three. The report states, “Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat. She helped him onto the boat and he then heard the decedent yell ‘help’ and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water.” This account matches the statements given by the rental office employees. The worker who found Josey in the pontoon boat said the boy told him Rivera had helped him climb back on the boat, and when he turned around, “mom was gone.”
A worker who assisted Rivera and Josey with setting off the boat from the dock mentioned that they offered Rivera a life vest, which she politely declined. However, the workers decided to give her one anyway, and it was found on the boat. According to Rivera’s mother, Naya and Josey were planning to have a barbecue at Lake Piru, which explains why investigators found a bag of charcoal in her car and a “bag of food items” on the boat.
Rivera’s cause of death remains an accident, with the medical examiner explaining in the report, “Her toxicology report shows a therapeutic level of phentermine, low/therapeutic levels of amphetamine and diazepam, caffeine, and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.016%. Based on the autopsy findings, known circumstances surrounding the death, and absence of anatomic or toxicological explanation for the death, as currently understood, the cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accident.”
Rivera was laid to rest in a private funeral at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills on July 24th. Her family expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey, and their family over the past week. They stated, “While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter, and sister.”
The lake where she drowned is now open to the public under one condition—no swimming.
The official coroner’s report into the accidental drowning death of Naya Rivera has provided further insight into her final moments. The star drowned in Lake Piru, a reservoir in California’s Los Padres National Forest, on July 8, where she had rented a boat for the day to go swimming with her son Josey.
Investigators spoke with Josey to piece together the details of the incident. The report, a copy of which was obtained by E! News, states, “Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat. She helped him onto the boat and he then heard the decedent yell ‘help’ and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water.” This account matches the details given to an employee of the rental office, who discovered Josey sleeping alone in the pontoon boat on the day of Rivera’s disappearance.
At that time, the child explained that she had helped him back into the boat, after which she disappeared under the water. Rivera was offered a life vest upon renting the vessel, and though she “politely” turned it down, the rental employee stated that he gave it to her nonetheless. This detail was corroborated by investigators, who found a life vest on board.
The report concluded, “Based on the autopsy findings, known circumstances surrounding the death, and absence of anatomic or toxicological explanation for the death, as currently understood, the cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accident.”
The former Glee star was laid to rest in a private funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills on July 24, attended by family.
Heartbreaking details surrounding the death of Naya Rivera have been revealed as the Ventura County Medical Examiner released the Glee star’s full autopsy and investigative reports. According to the investigative report obtained by PEOPLE, Rivera’s 4-year-old son Josey said that before the star disappeared into the water and drowned, they counted “1, 2, 3” and jumped off the pontoon boat together at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, on July 8.
After getting into the water, Josey said his mother told him to get back on the boat. “She helped him onto the boat and then he then heard [Naya] yell ‘help’ and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water,” the investigative report states.
Officials also noted in the investigative report that while
