The disappearance of Naya Rivera has led to a number of theories to arise across social media. The 33-year-old actress, who notably starred as Santana Lopez on Glee, was reported missing Wednesday after renting a pontoon boat with her 4-year-old son on Lake Piru. She has not been seen since that afternoon, when CCTV footage captured the moment she and her son departed from the dock.
According to her son Josey, who was found by another boater asleep aboard the drifting boat, his mother did not return to the watercraft after they went swimming. An adult life vest was discovered still onboard, leaving authorities to believe that Rivera may have entered the water without the flotation device. Previous reports from other incidents on the lake have said Lake Piru can experience strong currents, there are sudden drop offs, and the lakebed is scattered with various debris, including trees and plants.
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Although authorities believe that Rivera may be the victim of drowning, with the search operation switching from one of rescue to recovery, some people are proposing different scenarios. As the search continues and new information continues to be revealed, conspiracy theorists have taken to social media, some believing that her disappearance is suspicious and that she could have been kidnapped. Keep scrolling to see what people are saying.
I hope investigators are looking at all possibilities before assuming that Naya Rivera went swimming and never came back up. Check cameras where she rented the boat to see if anyone was following her or looking suspicious? She could have left her son in the boat for safety.
— Cherise M. Romero (@mzcherrybaby24) July 9, 2020
Naya Rivera missing is very suspicious and her child was on the boat just fine. I hope they interviewed everyone in the area. They are saying she could have drowned but I don’t buy it. https://t.co/UoPXYtwgbY
— Briana Hobbs (@moonadventures1) July 9, 2020
Exactly, most definitely she got kidnap. The kidnappers possibly placed the baby on the boat and did something to put him to sleep.
— Charm Rose Brand Music Industry Platform (@charm_brand50) July 9, 2020
Am I the only one that thinks the Naya Rivera case isn’t really adding up? Shits suspicious. Who rents a boat just mother & babe and then leaves baby on the boat alone to swim. Was she really just not thinking & got overwhelmed by the water? Why leave her life vest on the boat?
— P🦋 (@_Paaaaige) July 9, 2020
This Naya Rivera story seems super suspicious. I have so many questions.
— THEPUSSYCLARTGIRLS (@Rumspiced666) July 9, 2020
Anybody else feel like Naya Rivera just “disappearing” and her son was SLEEPING on the boat is super suspicious?
— Queen B🖤 (@bridgettenglan9) July 9, 2020
I hope they are looking for her on land too in case of a kidnap incident. Or other people’s boats and campsites.
— Butterflynoelle🦋🌌 (@BeautifulLuvfly) July 9, 2020
Like I don’t want to jump ahead to conclusions but this Naya Rivera news isn’t sitting with me well. If it was just two of them in the boat, then how did the authorities get to the scene? Someone could’ve just called and found something suspicious but I don’t know
— 🇵🇭Braven🇺🇸 #BAYLEYDOSSTRAPS Stan Account (@Braven_Kerbs) July 9, 2020
something about naya rivera going missing is very suspicious to me
— . (@cashmowney) July 9, 2020
This is heartbreaking
— Ange #BLM #E4L (@AngNotMeMyPanic) July 9, 2020
Also suspicious
Hope Naya Rivera is found okay
My heart breaks for that little boy https://t.co/1SHaQ2T2yS
Others Have a Different Viewpoint
Despite the theories now appearing, not everyone is as quick to buy into them. Many believe that Rivera’s disappearance could be an accident and that nothing at this stage in the investigation points to a suspicious disappearance. Many have said that the fact Rivera took her son on a boat is not unusual, as many people have done the same, and others have said that the fact an adult life vest was still aboard is also not out of the ordinary, as many people who know how to swim do not wear floatation devices.
I don’t understand anyone saying that it was weird of Naya Rivera to go on a boat with her four-year-old child on a lake. I…. people go on boats with their kids all the time? How is this suspicious? People just want things to be more dramatic than they are.
— Rachel Horner (@racheleigh13) July 9, 2020
People saying that the search for Naya Rivera is suspicious clearly did not grow up in an area where drownings are relatively common. It’s very sad but you can’t risk more people’s lives when it turns into a recovery mission, which is what happens in water disappearances.
— Mirissa 🐹 (@genevivrelavie) July 9, 2020
What do Authorities Say?
Despite online sleuths, authorities are under the impression that foul play is not involved in Rivera’s disappearance. Speaking during a press conference Thursday, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Captain Eric Buschow confirmed that “there’s no evidence of foul play at this point” and that “there are no signs of anything wrong besides a tragic accident.” He again stated that Rivera’s disappearance appears to “be a case of drowning.”
This does not mean that authorities aren’t considering the possibility of something other than drowning. Although their search effort are centered around Lake Piru, with multiple dive teams continue to search the waters, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kevin Donoghue confirmed that authorities were also checking Rivera’s credit card statements “to make sure she hasn’t made any charges since her disappearance.” He added that in spite of those efforts, “based on the information we have so far, we are fairly confident the focus of our search being in the water.”
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