New details about the tragic death of Naya Rivera have been made public.
Full story below…
The ‘Glee’ actress lost her life after accidentally drowning in Lake Piru during a boat ride with her four year old son, Josey.
Today saw the findings of her autopsy shared and paired with previously unpublicised information about the 33-year-old’s final moments.
Per the report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner, Rivera climbed into the water and swam together with her son. But once she had helped him back on to the boat, he “noticed the decedent put her arm up in the air and yelled ‘help.’ The decedent then disappeared in to the water.”
As for what may have caused Rivera (who the report notes “knew how to swim well”) to drown, the following noted that she had previous problems vertigo, a recent sinus infection, and had a small sums of prescribed amphetamines in her system.
Regarding specificity of the latter, toxicology tests showed she had small, therapeutic amounts of the anti-anxiety drug diazepam. Also identified in her system were traces of appetite suppressant phentermine.
Rivera’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.016 and discovered at the scene were “Three 12 ounce White Claw alcohol cans were located near [her] purse. One of the cans was empty, one was open and was about 3⁄4 full, and one was unopened. There was a bag with food items on a bench seat near the front of the boat.”
It’s important to note, however, that they did not identify physical conditions or drugs as factors in her death – the cause of which has officially been deemed accidental drowning.
Though Rivera died on July 8, she was found five days later. A fact that the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office attributes to the likelihood of her trapped in thick vegetation underwater for several days before floating to the surface.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with Rivera’s loved ones.