34°28′39″N 118°45′18″W / 34.47750°N 118.75500°W(lake coordinates)
 Flowers and images left at a memorial at the site of Rivera's death | |
| Date | July 8, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Piru, Ventura County, California, U.S. |
| Deaths | Naya Rivera |
On July 8, 2020, American actress and singer Naya Rivera was declared missing after she failed to return from a boating excursion on Lake Piru near her home in California. Shortly afterwards, her rented boat with her 4-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, was located. Dorsey was unharmed. A search conducted by various authorities in southern California began, though Rivera was formally presumed dead the next day; the search lasted until the morning of July 13, 2020, when her body was recovered and she was pronounced dead from drowning at the age of 33. The death was ruled accidental, with the investigation determining Rivera exhausted herself saving her son's life in the water. In November 2020, Rivera's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, and estate brought wrongful death lawsuits against Ventura County and the management of Lake Piru.
The public manner of the search and Rivera's celebrity status contributed to extensive media attention on developments before and after she was found. Naya Rivera had been a series regular on the popular television series Glee, and was the third series actor to die. Her body was found on the anniversary of the death of her co-star and close friend Cory Monteith in 2013. Following her death, authorities banned swimming in Lake Piru permanently. Prior to Naya Rivera, several people had drowned in the reservoir.