US officials on Monday confirmed finding the body of Glee actress Naya Rivera in the Californian lake where she drowned last week during a boat trip with her four-year-old son. Rivera's body was retrieved and an initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub told a press conference.
"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," said Ayub, pointing to the location, appearance, clothing and condition of the body. Her body was being taken to a medical examiner's office for a full autopsy and confirmation of her identity from dental records, though no other missing persons have been reported at Lake Piru, he added.
Naya Rivera used the last of her strength to save her 4-year-old son before she died, said Ayub. "She mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself." Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident. "The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting -- it was unanchored -- and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," he said.
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The lake has been closed to the public since Wednesday, with around 100 personnel, including the US Coast Guard and rescuers from neighboring counties, joining the search. With less than one foot (30 centimeters) of visibility underwater in daylight, the recovery operation was a "complex search effort" even with use of sonar equipment, he said.
For the unversed, Naya went missing on Wednesday afternoon after a swimming accident at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. The actress rented a boat with her 4-year-old son, who was found alone on the boat. The search operation began on Wednesday night.
(Source: CNN)
