More details about the final moments of Glee star Naya Rivera were released on Friday, three months after her death at Lake Piru in Ventura, California on July 8. The 33-year-old actress had a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol in her system at the time of her death, according to the toxicology report. Investigators also reported that Rivera helped her son Josey get back into the rented boat before she drowned.
“Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat,” investigators wrote in the report, obtained by E! News. “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.” The report also corroborates a rental office employee, who said they found Josey asleep alone in the pontoon. The employee said Josey, 4, told him Rivera helped him get into the boat. When Josey turned, he saw his mother “was gone,” the employee said.
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The employee who helped Rivera set off from the dock said they offered her a life vest, but she declined. The worker still gave the life vest to her. After Rivera went missing, authorities said they found an adult-sized life vest in the boat when they arrived. Josey was found wearing the life vest.
Investigators also said Rivera did not go to Lake Piru to swim at first. Rivera’s mother told authorities she and Josey planned to have a barbecue at the lake. Once she got there though, she decided to rent the boat. Investigators said they found a bag of charcoal in her car and a “bag of food items” on the boat. Rivera’s mother said the actress suffered had vertigo, which would get worse in the water.
The toxicology report found therapeutic levels of phentermine, as well as low levels of amphetamine and diazepam, in Rivera’s system, according to ABC News. She had a blood-alcohol level of .016%. Investigators also found three cans of White Claw hard seltzer, one of which was empty, on the boat. The remaining nine cans were left in Rivera’s car. They also found her purse, cellphone, syringes with an unknown pink substance, her ID, and a prescription for amphetamine.
According to the Alcohol.org, combining prescription drugs with alcohol may worsen one’s symptoms and create a dangerous situation, further stating how one can become more depressed or anxious, impair thinking and alertness. Some combinations can make one sleepy, affecting judgment, coordination, motor skills and reaction time more than alcohol alone. Additionally, this can impair your ability to drive or do other tasks that require focus and attention.
Rivera’s death was ruled an accidental drowning. The actress was best known for playing Santana Lopez on Glee for six seasons. Her last role was as Collette Jones on Step-Up: High Water. She also appeared as a guest judge in an episode of Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet, which was released on Netflix weeks after her death. She also wrote the memoir Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.
