The sad drowning of “Glee” star Naya Rivera in Lake Piru in California rocked the nation on July 8, 2020. To spend the day on the lake with her four-year-old son, Josey, Rivera had hired a pontoon boat. The day turned tragically when Rivera drowned after making sure her kid was safe.
Josey’s Brave Attempt to Save His Mother
Naya Rivera’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey disclosed a moving detail about that fatal day in a recent interview. Now nine, Josey has clear memories of the event. He remembers the boat started to move from the breeze following swimming. Rivera gave Josey directions on going back to the ship.
He recalls clinging to the boat’s tanks and dragging himself around it. Tragically, Naya Rivera vanished under the sea after tiring herself pulling Josey back aboard the boat. Josey has admitted to feeling guilty. He intended to toss a rope to his mother but stopped because of a spider on it. “Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough,” Dorsey said reassuring him. Josey thinks he could have rescued his mother, hence this memory still weighs strongly on him.
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The Aftermath: A Family’s Journey Through Grief
When Naya Rivera vanished, Dorsey drove right away to be with his kid in Lake Piru. Thinking back on the event, he remarked, “If we would have lost both Naya and Josey, I don’t know how I would continue with my life.” Dorsey and Josey have been negotiating life without Rivera in the years she passed.
They produced a memory book for Josey that has been both consoling and depressing. “Life is not fair,” Dorsey tells his kid, stressing the need to be a nice person. Bad things happen and there’s no cause for it; you simply have to try your best to be a decent person.”
Legal Actions and Settlements
A wrongful death lawsuit against Ventura County was launched on behalf of Josey following Rivera’s death, claiming that the boat lacked the required safety gear and that there were no warnings regarding the hazardous lake conditions. 2022 saw the settlement of the case; the money was meant to help Josey grow up without his mother.
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Remembering Naya Rivera
Apart from her performance as Santana Lopez on “Glee,” Naya Rivera is revered for her mothering commitment. Her last action of making sure her son is safe is evidence of her love and fortitude. “It’s still so surreal every day,” Dorsey notes. Through her efforts and compassion, Naya Rivera left many lives affected, and her son, Josey, carries on her legacy.