Glee star Naya Rivera found dead at 33

The body of Glee star Naya Rivera, 33, has been found at a Southern California lake, authorities said.

Ventura County Sheriff's officials confirmed at a news conference that the body that search crews found floating in the northeast corner of Lake Piru earlier in the day was 33-year-old Rivera.

"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said, based on the location of the body, the physical description and the clothing. "The body looked as though it had been in the water for several days."

According to Ayub, Rivera's four-year-old son Josey saw his mum disappear into the water.

"[Josey] and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey. It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya," Ayub said. "He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water." The officer added, "She mustered enough energy to get her son onto the boat but wasn't able to get herself."

"There is no indication this was foul play and no indication this was a suicide," Ayub added.

The body was flown 40 miles (64 kilometres) to the coroner's office in Ventura, where an autopsy would be conducted, Sheriff's Capt. Eric Buschow said. Rivera's family has been notified of the discovery.

The lake, an hour's drive from Los Angeles, was searched by dozens of divers working in waters with little visibility, with help from sonar and robotic devices combing the bottom and helicopters and drones searching above.

"I can't imagine what it's like for her parents, her family," Buschow said. "It takes an emotional toll on the search teams too."

She was found at around 9.10am local time.

The discovery came five days after the 33-year-old Rivera disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son was found July 8 asleep and alone on a rented pontoon boat, authorities said.

Authorities said the following day that they believed Rivera had drowned, and they had shifted to working to find her body rather than find her alive.

The news comes on the seven-year anniversary of the death of Rivera's Glee co-star Cory Monteith.

Rivera, best known for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez on the musical TV series, went missing on July 8 after going swimming with her four-year-old son, Josey.

The pair had hired a boat at Lake Piru, Ventura County in California at 2pm last Wednesday, July 8 (local time). A few hours later, Josey was found sleeping on the boat wearing a life jacket. An adult life jacket, provided to Rivera, was reportedly found on the boat as well, but the actress was nowhere to be found.

Rivera's son was reportedly unharmed. He later informed investigators that he had been swimming with his mother. However, she never returned to their boat.

According to Fillmore Police Department, a search-and-rescue operation was undertaken at the lake, but Rivera was not found. Josey was reunited with his father.

"The missing person at Lake Piru has been identified as Naya Rivera, 33, of Los Angeles," the department tweeted at 10.39pm local time last Wednesday. "SAR [search and rescue] operation will continue at first light."

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Authorities suspended the search for the night, but resumed on Thursday morning. A few hours later, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said the search had become a recovery operation.

"We're presuming that an accident happened and we're presuming she drowned in the lake," Ventura County Sheriff Deputy Chris Dyer said at a news conference. "The goal is still to bring Miss Rivera home to her family."

On Wednesday, the actress tweeted a photo that showed her kissing her son's face, with the caption, "just the two of us".

Josey's father is actor Ryan Dorsey, 36.

Rivera married Dorsey on July 19, 2014 – famously on the same day she had intended on marrying her ex-boyfriend Big Sean, whom she had split up with in April that same year.

Rivera and Dorsey welcomed Josey in September 2015. In November 2016, Rivera filed for divorce from Dorsey. Their divorce was finalised in June 2018.

Up until her disappearance, the couple had shared joint custody of Josey.

Though she began acting in 1991, Rivera is best known for playing high school student and cheerleader Santana Lopez on the series Glee between 2009 and 2015. Rivera has also had roles in the TV series Devious Maids and the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water.

As part of the Glee cast, Rivera received several nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Grammys and Teen Choice Awards.

Two of Rivera's Glee co-stars have died in the last decade.

On July 13, 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show, overdosed on heroin and alcohol in a hotel room at the age of 31.

Five years later, on January 30, 2018, Mark Salling took his own life. The actor, who played Puck on the show, had pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography a month earlier and was due to be sentenced in March of that year.

In 2016, Rivera published her memoir Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes and Growing Up.

One of Rivera's last tweets, posted on July 3, read, "No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you're alive is a blessing. Make the most of today and every day you are given. Tomorrow is not promised."

Written with AP.