Heartbreaking details of Naya Rivera ‘s final moments with her son Josey were revealed in the investigative and autopsy report of the incident released Friday. According to the report obtained by E! News her cause of death has been listed as an accidental drowning at the Diablo Cove in Lake Peru on July 8th, when the actress was reported missing. Her son Josey was found sitting alone in their rental boat hours after it was supposed to be returned.
The investigators that interviewed Josey said he told them Rivera jumped in the water after counting to 3. The report states, “Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat. She helped him onto the boat and he then heard the decedent yell ‘help’ and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water.” The report matches the accounts of the rental office employees as well. The worker who found Josey in the Pontoon told investigators he said Rivera helped him climb back on the boat. After he turned around “mom was gone.” A worker who assisted Rivera and Josey with setting off the boat from the dock said they offered Rivera a life vest but she politely declined. However, the workers decided to give her one anyway and it was found on the boat. According to Rivera’s mom, Naya and Josey were planning on having a barbecue at Lake Piru, but she must have decided to rent the pontoon boat instead or before. Her mother’s account explained why investigators found a bag of charcoal in her car and a “bag of food items” on the boat.
© GettyImagesRivera‘s cause of death remains an accident, with the medical examiner explaining in the report, “Her toxicology report shows a therapeutic level of phentermine, low/therapeutic levels of amphetamine and diazepam, caffeine, and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.016%... Based on the autopsy findings, known circumstances surrounding the death, and absence of anatomic or toxicological explanation for the death, as currently understood, the cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accident.”
Rivera was laid to rest in a private funeral at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills on July 24th. Her family said in a statement. “We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey, and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter, and sister.” The lake that she drowned in is now open to the public under one condition- no swimming.
