The 33-year-old actress wanted to live and was healthy when she died in the horrible accident after drowning in a lake.
Glee actress Naya Rivera passed away on July 8 during a boat ride with her son Josey, 4, whom she shared with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey. The details around her death have shown that until the last moment she was a dedicated mom who just wanted to save her son's life. Now, further details from the autopsy report have confirmed that she wanted to survive the incident and had no intention of ending her life by drowning.
She had rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru with her son. The pair then decided to jump into the water, according to an investigative report from Ventura County quoted by CNN. They counted 1,2,3 before jumping in. Soon, the actress told Josey to climb up on to the boat, the report said. "She helped him onto the boat and he then heard (his mother) yell 'help' and she put her arm in the air," the report said. "She then disappeared into the water."
The report mentions that even though she was in good health, she had a history of vertigo "that would get worse when she was in the water." "The decedent would have vertigo to the point of vomiting, but she learned to control the symptoms with antihistamines," the report stated, according to People Magazine. However, she was considered a good swimmer.
It was confirmed that she died of accidental drowning. The autopsy and investigative report said she did not have a history of "suicidal ideation or attempt" and mentioned that she had taken medication for a sinus infection. She also did not have any Covid-19 symptoms, as per CNN. She had been prescribed Adderall for anxiety and was using "a marijuana vape pen and she would smoke about a pack of cigarettes per week," the report states, according to People Magazine.
The toxicology report revealed that Rivera had low-level amounts of amphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine), diazepam, ethanol, and phentermine (an appetite suppressant) in her system. She also had caffeine in her system, at the time of her death. According to the toxicology report, her blood alcohol concentration was 0.016. The legal level in California is 0.08%.
"[Naya's] cell phone, syringes with a pink fluid substance, identification, and a filled prescription slip for amphetamine was found in [her] purse. Three 12 ounce White Claw alcohol cans were located near [her] purse. One of the cans was empty, one was open and was about 3⁄4 full, and one was unopened. There was a bag with food items on a bench seat near the front of the boat," the investigative report states.
She had been offered a life jacket when she was hiring the boat but said no to it, the report said. The rental employee told the officials that he gave her a life jacket anyway and it was found on the boat. The employee went to check on the boat, which was due for return, hours after Rivera drowned. The employee found the 4-year-old boy sleeping on the boat wrapped in a towel and wearing a life vest.
A day after Josey was found, the police said that she was presumed dead and stated that they considered the incident took place as a result of "a horrible accident." It took days to find her body since the lake was murky and there was thick vegetation.
A six-day search was conducted for Rivera and finally, she was found in the part of the lake where the water is between 35 and 60 feet deep. She was only 33 years old at the time of death.
On July 13, the police said, "We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera. It has been an extremely difficult time for her family throughout this ordeal ... our hearts are with them and we share in their grief for Naya’s loss."
Her family and ex-husband are devastated over what happened and they are still honoring her memory.
References:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/11/entertainment/naya-rivera-autopsy/index.html
