The Devastating Warning Naya Rivera's Dad Gave Her Before She Died
"Glee" star Naya Rivera died after drowning on July 8, 2020, per People. Earlier in the day, Rivera had ventured off to Lake Piru with her then 4-year-old son, Josey Dorsey. However, something went awry at the lake, which is notorious for drownings, via Mirror UK. Based on what Rivera's son remembers, he and Rivera counted to three then jumped into the water. And while Dorsey returned back to the boat, Rivera did not. Later that day, Dorsey was found sleeping alone on the platoon by the rental's employees, per TMZ. There were no eyewitnesses of the incident, but officials deduced that their boat possibly drifted off, leading the mother and son to struggle to sustain themselves in the water.
Ultimately, officials believe that Rivera was able to thrust Dorsey back to safety. However, [Rivera] couldn't gather "enough [strength] to save herself," said Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, per CNN. Rivera's death was officially announced on July 14, 2020, after several days of organized rescue transitioned into a body recovery project, per CBS News. Following Rivera's passing, her family, fans, and peers took to social media to mourn the accomplished actor. However, Rivera's father's participation in "The Price of Glee," an unauthorized docuseries chronicling the highs and lows of the popular teen drama, has given Rivera's fans deeper insight into her last moments — and the warning that might have saved her life.
Naya Rivera's dad told her to stay on the boat
George Rivera used his segment on "The Price of Glee" to recount the FaceTime conversation he and Naya Rivera had, shortly before she died. "First of all, I said, 'Naya, you're on a pontoon boat, that's not a boat ... why are you on a pontoon boat?'" said George, via People. He continued, "I said, 'Do not jump off that effin' boat. If you've got an anchor, you can anchor it, but do you know how to anchor it?" Unfortunately, Naya never responded as the call dropped. Once law enforcement officials contacted him about Naya's disappearance, his mind jumped to the worst-case scenario. "I knew immediately when I got the phone call in Knoxville that it was over with," he said. "You don't find a drifting, 5-year-old child asleep on a boat at the end of a lake without his mother and have any hope."
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that George spoke out about his call with Naya. In June 2021, George spoke with E! News and echoed similar sentiments. After Naya reportedly asked him if it would be safe for her to take a swim, he urged against it. "I could see that the wind was blowing and my stomach was just cringing," shared George. "I kept telling her, 'Don't get out of the boat! Don't get out of the boat! It will drift away when you're in the water.'"
Naya Rivera may have called out for help before she died
According to Naya Rivera's autopsy, she died within minutes of losing control in the water, per Entertainment Tonight. However, the actor made a valiant effort to survive. As outlined in a variety of official reports, Rivera reportedly yelled out for help, according to her son's account, per CNN.
Ultimately, Rivera's death has been classified as an accident. Toxicology reports also cast down the possibility that drugs contributed to her death, also the reports noted that she did have minor levels of various prescription drugs in her system, including amphetamines, diazepam, and phentermine, per Deadline.
Prior to Rivera's autopsy results being made public, her family made a statement to thank her fans and honor her legacy. "While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit," read the statement via TMZ. "Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister."