Found Deceased CA - Naya Rivera, "Glee Actress", missing from boat with son, 4, (fnd alive), Lake Piru, 9 July 2020

[Hatfield]

Honestly I think law enforcement speculation on what happened is correct. They were probably were swimming and maybe she forgot about the boat not being anchored and noticed it had drifted away. I'm sure she panicked thinking of her son, and holding him she got him to be the boat but by the time she got to it and got him up on it was exhausted and just sank under. She probably got too tired out to help herself and just sank not being able to bring herself back up. The only question I have which will be unanswered is why didn't she grab a hold of the ladder once Josey got up unless the boat drifted further and she couldn't reach it?

Saw the news earlier. RIP Naya.

JMO
I think your theory is close and maybe by the time she was able to catch the boat the boat may have spun where the ladder was on the opposite side. She may have had enough strength to push her boy to where he was able to climb over the side rail. But by then she was exhausted and couldnt hang on any longer.

So glad they found her. Prayers for her and her family members and friends.

 

[Sulamith]

I mean no disrespect but this is highly unlikely. I grew up on a lake in Texas and have been around lakes, rivers, etc my entire life and I’ve seen plenty of snakes in the water. They do not swim for you to attack. Quite the opposite, if one happens to get to close just splash a little and it will change its course. I’ve never ever heard of one trying to access a boat. They’ve fallen out of trees into boats but this isn’t a Hollywood movie. Snakes are harmless in water.

My ex-husband and I use to camp/fish/swim at Amistad (near Del Rio) . We would be swimming and see snakes (Maybe Water Moccasins ?) in the water. We left them alone and they would leave us alone.

 

[Coppertop15]

None of this sounds suspicious to me. California water is...different, especially in dammed lakes. It's usually snow melt. Even on a day where it's 103, and you are burning on the shore, the coldness of the water hurts and makes you gasp. You get tired quickly. The currents tend to be unpredictable, it's often hard to see, and just about anything could be on the bottom. Not like the much tamer, warmer, shallower swimming holes I grew up with back east. But it is very easy to forget that in our blistering summers. Every summer, we lose people at lakes and rivers and canals. (Please be careful, and wear life jackets.)

 

[WillenFan21]

Nayas passing is getting to me so much. I’ve cried off and on so much since yesterday. The fact that Josey doesn’t have his mom, the fact they could not find her and overall how she passed is just horrible. She was so talented and beautiful it’s so shocking. I never expected this. Then seeing the Glee cast at the lake on top of all the tribute post to her is so sad. Then you have the fact she was found 7 years to the day Cory passed away. It’s all gut wrenching,

 

[RobinCAL]

Nayas passing is getting to me so much. I’ve cried off and on so much since yesterday. The fact that Josey doesn’t have his mom, the fact they could not find her and overall how she passed is just horrible. She was so talented and beautiful it’s so shocking. I never expected this. Then seeing the Glee cast at the lake on top of all the tribute post to her is so sad. Then you have the fact she was found 7 years to the day Cory passed away. It’s all gut wrenching,

It really is, I cried myself nearly to sleep last night. I'm just so heartbroken for her family and close friends.

 

[heartandsoul]

Naya, you are so loved by so many. Josey will always know that, and know how your love for him was greater than anything else on earth. I do believe, somehow, Cory helped to find you, and I know that wherever you both are is going to be full of love and laughter. I'm so sorry this wasn't a better outcome because you deserved so much more. I'm so glad that you can be at peace now.

Thank you to LE for bringing her home to those who loved her the most.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Interesting theory.

Has there been any reporting that the boat engine had been/was running when they found it?

My experience with pontoon boats on lakes is that once you motor to the spot on the lake you want to hang out at, you shut off the engine.

Good point. The CO theory only came to mind due to in the presser it was stated the boat wasn't anchored.

 

[I wonder]

I haven't read anything about the hire place keeping an eye on people who hire boats from them. I would have expected them to do so. I believe she had booked a 4 hour slot, and presumably the hire people do go out to call people back in who have passed the time slot?

She seemed to be fit and well, so would expect her to have been able to tread water for a decent amount of time, even 4 hours.

I also would be very surprised if she did make a mistake and not be able to get back onto the boat. Reports say she grew up with 20 miles of the lake and it was somewhere she liked to go. This surely wasn't the first time she swam.

I don't know if she didn't wear the lifebelt to swim, but I would think it would be harder to lift her son onto the boat whilst wearing one. Without the lifebelt, it would be easier, so she may have taken it off for that reason.

 

[zecats]

Snakes seem an unlikely threat. Panic would probably happen seeing one, but if she was bit unless she had an anaphylactic reaction, she would have survived. The likelihood of stumbling across a venomous snake (although nonvenomous might incite panic) in a lake would be like finding a needle in a haystack. If snakes freak you out and you have Facebook, join the “National Snakebite Support Group” and you can learn about how to take care of yours self and others in the event of a snake bite. They even have veterinarians on the page. Just don’t comment, that page is all business. Nationally recognized doctors who want people to have proper treatment for bites. Also join your local snake pages to be able to learn to identify them properly. I’ve learned to respect even the venomous ones.

An autopsy would provide any evidence of a snake bite, though I also doubt this had anything to do with it, unless, as you said, ti cause panic.

Personally I don't have a problem with snakes. There are many around our yard, and one even made it onto our screened porch, another into the house. I can definitely relate to a sort of shock (panic?) when seeing one where it doesn't belong. In the water offers more of an uncontrolled environment.

I do wonder what might have caused her to slip back into the water after boosting her son onto the boat. There is certainly a tinge of bittersweet heartbreak in that scenario. JMO

 

[ChitBrick]

Welllllll let me just tell you, if Chit sees a snake, im falling out off the boat, having a heart attack, leg cramp, start sweating, fingers go stiff and im going to pass smooth out. But thats just me. I dont do any slithering anything.

 

[canyonoflight]

How does one have enough energy to boost her son up and just not enough left to get herself onboard? So many unanswered questions. I wonder if after the autopsy they will be able to say for certain what happened

The same way a mother could lift a car off her child: adrenaline.

 

[kaykay543]

Honestly I think law enforcement speculation on what happened is correct. They were probably were swimming and maybe she forgot about the boat not being anchored and noticed it had drifted away. I'm sure she panicked thinking of her son, and holding him she got him to be the boat but by the time she got to it and got him up on it was exhausted and just sank under. She probably got too tired out to help herself and just sank not being able to bring herself back up. The only question I have which will be unanswered is why didn't she grab a hold of the ladder once Josey got up unless the boat drifted further and she couldn't reach it?

I just wonder why she didn't just hang onto the boat once she got her son in? I have to wonder if once she got him in a big wind kicked up and pushed the boat away from her again. One article said while there are no currents; the wind can kick up suddenly on this lake in the afternoon. Heartbreaking story.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I haven't read anything about the hire place keeping an eye on people who hire boats from them. I would have expected them to do so. I believe she had booked a 4 hour slot, and presumably the hire people do go out to call people back in who have passed the time slot?

She seemed to be fit and well, so would expect her to have been able to tread water for a decent amount of time, even 4 hours.

I also would be very surprised if she did make a mistake and not be able to get back onto the boat. Reports say she grew up with 20 miles of the lake and it was somewhere she liked to go. This surely wasn't the first time she swam.

I don't know if she didn't wear the lifebelt to swim, but I would think it would be harder to lift her son onto the boat whilst wearing one. Without the lifebelt, it would be easier, so she may have taken it off for that reason.

Yes, the hire place went looking for them re the presser after they didn't return.

As a lifetime boater and swimmer etc. all my life, I would believe that it would be almost impossible without a flotation device to lift ????~40 pounds above your head, but she did it. Perhaps holding on with one hand to the ledge/edge and the other pushing the child up.

This is so so unfortunate, and reminds me of the drill on aeroplanes. Put the mask on yourself before you put the mask on your child. If you have on a flotation device, it also aids to keep you up when you lift something up vs the old "each action has an opposite reaction".


This is why I keep going back to Carbon monoxide/exhaust poisoning may be involved due to the fact the boat was not anchored. That it may have affected her judgment... but the one primary brainstem focus was on saving her child.

Just heartbreaking.

All above MOO

ETA: Does anyone have a screenshot or link to a pic of the pontoon boat? If not, in MSM, Has name of rental place been done to see what options were?

 

[Deleted member 238128]

I just wonder why she didn't just hang onto the boat once she got her son in? I have to wonder if once she got him in a big wind kicked up and pushed the boat away from her again. One article said while there are no currents; the wind can kick up suddenly on this lake in the afternoon. Heartbreaking story.

I noticed LE said Naya got Josey up onto”the deck” rather than ladder. Maybe Naya couldn’t get back on board without someone to help her up? Maybe the boat drifted and the ladder side was facing away from them but she managed strength to boost Josey onto it?

 

[Hatfield]

I noticed LE said Naya got Josey up onto”the deck” rather than ladder. Maybe Naya couldn’t get back on board without someone to help her up? Maybe the boat drifted and the ladder side was facing away from them but she managed strength to boost Josey onto it?

Someone brought up a good point yesterday that maybe as she was helping to push the boy on the boat he may have been kicking his feet to help propel himself and he may have accidentally kicked her. If she took a blow to the bridge of the nose or somewhere in the head area it may have been enough to stun her where she fell back in the water and couldnt return to the boat.

 

[Deleted member 238128]

Someone brought up a good point yesterday that maybe as she was helping to push the boy on the boat he may have been kicking his feet to help propel himself and he may have accidentally kicked her. If she took a blow to the bridge of the nose or somewhere in the head area it may have been enough to stun her where she fell back in the water and couldnt return to the boat.

My 4 year old is exactly the same
age as Josey and from exprience I can definitely see how that could happen. It can really stun. OH and I have both ended up with accidental black eyes from
our very active boys!

 

[BeachSky]

I also wonder ( like another poster) if maybe she took her life jacket off and threw it up in the boat ( found on center floor of boat) so she could climb up on the slick side..ladder out of reach,boat spinning, drifting etc.She may have exhausted all her upper body strength getting Josey in..nothing left for herself. My heart is with her family & friends. Just tragic.

MOO

 

[zecats]

Yes, the hire place went looking for them re the presser after they didn't return.

As a lifetime boater and swimmer etc. all my life, I would believe that it would be almost impossible without a flotation device to lift ????~40 pounds above your head, but she did it. Perhaps holding on with one hand to the ledge/edge and the other pushing the child up.

This is so so unfortunate, and reminds me of the drill on aeroplanes. Put the mask on yourself before you put the mask on your child. If you have on a flotation device, it also aids to keep you up when you lift something up vs the old "each action has an opposite reaction".


This is why I keep going back to Carbon monoxide/exhaust poisoning may be involved due to the fact the boat was not anchored. That it may have affected her judgment... but the one primary brainstem focus was on saving her child.

Just heartbreaking.

All above MOO

ETA: Does anyone have a screenshot or link to a pic of the pontoon boat? If not, in MSM, Has name of rental place been done to see what options were?

I like your theory and find it very informative. I wonder, though, if the boat was running. If they were swimming and not anchored, for whatever reason, I assume the motor would be turned off. CO wouldn't pose an exhaust problem in that case, I also assume. JMO

 

[happyday]

The fact that she was able to boost her child up into the boat while obviously in such a bad state to then just fall back in the water to drown shows the power of a mother’s love. No matter the exact circumstances, she was a hero.

The only way I can see the propeller or carbon monoxide being a factor is if maybe her little boy fell/jumped in the water before the boat was stopped and motor turned off. I doubt they would have just gone for a swim w/the motor running. But it doesn’t really matter in the end to me. She saved her son’s life and wasn’t able to save her own. So tragic. But he’ll always know how much his mother loved him.

 

[kkdj]

I think she boosted him up onto the boat and then thought she would follow. That would be a normal pattern. I've been out on pontoon boats many many times. Imo it would be easier to boost a 4 year old up than have him try to climb the stairs and have him pull himself up.
Something happened after she boosted him up. I wonder if she had a seizure or something.
I feel so sorry for Josey. Can you imagine?
I would bet he freaked out a little and exhausted himself. I think that's why he was sleeping.
moo