Naya Rivera, ‘Glee’ Star, Is Missing, 4-Year-Old Son Found Alone on Boat

Actress Naya Rivera is missing, with authorities searching for her in California’s Lake Piru. The actress and her 4-year-old son, Josey, rented a pontoon around 1 p.m. local time Wednesday afternoon, per the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department via CBS Los Angeles. Around 4 p.m., another boater discovered the craft in question. Josey was on the boat alone, apparently asleep.

The child told authorities that he and his mother were swimming, but she did not get back on the boat. TMZ reports that Rivera’s life jacket was found on the vessel. Officials are using helicopters, drones and dive teams to search for the 33-year-old Glee alum. However, the search was suspended at nightfall but will resume after sunrise on Thursday. Josey is unharmed, and officials are working to reunite him with family members.

Per Los Angeles’ Fox affiliate, Rivera’s car, a black G-Wagon is parked in the boat rental company’s parking lot. The outlet also reported that Rivera’s purse was in the car. On official social media accounts, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has only stated they are searching for a “possible drowning victim. Officials have not provided any other information to the public. Some local reporters have stated she is “presumed dead,” but that language has not been declared in any official capacity.

Rivera’s social media account were quiet on Wednesday. She posted her latest Instagram upload on Tuesday, featuring a photo of Josey and herself. The caption reads, “just the two of us.” She also shared the image on her Twitter account.

Worries and tributes about Rivera have flooded social media in the time since the news broke late Wednesday night. Fans are obviously concerned, with some citing frustration that authorities suspended the search until morning.

“their job is to search and they choose to stop??? naya rivera could be alive, injured, needing help. the time from now and ‘first light’ can make a huge difference,” one Twitter user wrote. Another person remarked, “someone’s life is on the line. someone’s mother is missing. it’s your f—ing job for crying out loud. she’s a human fucking being, not just something you can put a pause on. find her. bring her to safety. time is precious. don’t waste it.”

Other shared memories of Rivera’s work on Glee. She portrayed the character Santana Lopez on 113 episodes of the hit FOX musical series. She is also known for portraying Donna on The Bernie Mac Show, Gwendolyn on Family Matters, Hillary Winston on The Royal Family and Collette Jones on Step Up: High Water.

The young actress’ Royal Family co-star Jackée Henry was among those wishing the best for her after authorities identified her as the subject of the missing person investigation. Riverdale and Locke and Key actress Asha Bromfield also chimed in, saying her “heart is so heavy” for Josey.

She also made headlines in recent years due to her split from Josey’s father, Ryan Dorsey. The pair’s divorce was finalized in June 2018. They are believed to share joint custody of Josey, who is nearing his fifth birthday. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for more updates on this developing situation.