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On July 13th 2020, a body was found in Southern Californian Lake. Police presume it to be of Naya Rivera.

She was reported missing on July 8th, 2020, after her four-year-old son was found alone in Rivera's rented boat at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California. A massive search for her was followed, which involved divers, patrol boats and helicopters. The lake has been closed to the public since then.

At a news conference, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub declared the floating body found by search crews in the northeast corner of Lake Piru earlier in the day was of 33-year-old Rivera. The initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide. The department was confident that it was her body since there have been no other reports of missing persons in the lake. However, an autopsy and official identification are still on its way. Rivera is believed to have accidentally drowned after renting the boat with her son. It is a camping and recreational hotspot which is around an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

The son informed investigators that his mother helped him into the boat before "he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water," said the sheriff. Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident. His idea is that the boat was unanchored and perhaps started drifting. Rivera mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself.

Rivera began her career as a child actress and model, who appeared in national television commercials. She landed on the role of Hillary Winston CBS sitcom The Royal Family at the age of four. She was best known for playing her role of a gay high school cheerleader, Santana Lopez in "Glee." The Fox musical-comedy starred her for six seasons in the wildly popular series set in a US high school that ended in 2015.

The cast and crew members of Glee have been sharing their tributes for Rivera. We hope she rests in peace.