Days after Glee star Naya Rivera disappeared after spending the afternoon at Lake Piru with her young son, officials have expressed their opinions on what they believed happened. Just Jared reported that authorities believe that the situation was simply a tragic accident. This news comes after some online have speculated about Rivera’s disappearance, with some wondering whether she died by suicide. However, authorities have shut down that speculation, saying that there is no evidence to suggest that it is the case.
Rivera initially went missing on Wednesday after spending time at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, with her four-year-old son Josey Dorsey, who was discovered alone on the boat that they had rented. On Friday, Sgt. Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE that they believed that Rivera drowned in a “tragic accident.” He told the publication, “We interviewed her son, and there was nothing that we learned from her son that would have suggested that this was suicide. Everything that we’ve learned so far leads to this being some sort of water recreational accident.” However, as far as what actually happened, Donoghue expressed that authorities can’t say for sure what occurred.
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“To say definitively what actually happened, we really can’t say. We just don’t know; it’s a mystery,” the sergeant continued. “We’re still investigating; we’re still searching. We’re trying to uncover clues as we go. But so far, we really don’t have a lot of information to make any guesses as to what could have happened.” Donoghue then explained that authorities are doing their best to recover the Glee star and that they are utilizing more advanced technology to do so. He explained that they are using a scanning sonar that “paints pictures of the lakebed floor.” The sergeant added about the technology, “When it sees an anomaly, an object that’s consistent with the shape and size of what we’re looking for, then we send divers to search that specific area.” He explained that three of those devices are being used to search for Rivera.
After Josey was discovered alone on the boat that Rivera rented for them, officials then set out to search for the actor. Josey reportedly told authorities that his mother did not get back into the boat after being in the lake. The four-year-old, who has since been reunited with his father, Ryan Dorsey, is said to be in “good health.” Donoghue added, “Given his age, I don’t think he fully understands everything that’s going on. But his family, their family, they’re heartbroken. This is an absolute tragedy.”
