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Naya Rivera’s Tragic Drowning: How Josey Tried To Save Her
Ryan Dorsey is opening up about the devastating loss of Naya Rivera, revealing new details about the day the "Glee" star tragically drowned.
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Ryan Dorsey is opening up about the devastating loss of Naya Rivera, revealing new details about the day the "Glee" star tragically drowned at age 33 on July 8, 2020.
Naya Rivera was on a boating trip with her then 4-year-old son, Josey, at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. According to reports and later confirmed by Josey’s account, the two went for a swim in the lake.
At some point, Naya Rivera helped Josey back onto the boat, but she was unable to pull herself up.
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Ryan Dorsey Shares Heartbreaking New Details About Naya Rivera’s Final MomentsIn his first sit-down interview since Rivera’s passing, Dorsey spoke with PEOPLE Magazine about how their son, Josey, now 9, still carries a deep sense of guilt over what happened that day at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. According to Dorsey, Josey, who was only 4 years old at the time, has repeatedly expressed that he tried to help his mother but was too scared to act.
"Something he’s said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft, and there was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it," Dorsey shared. "I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough.'"
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Josey also recalls that the wind was strong that day, and he initially hesitated to get into the water. However, Rivera encouraged him, telling him, “Don’t be silly!”
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Naya Rivera Drowned After Helping Her Son Back Onto The BoatAs they swam, Rivera noticed that the boat had begun to drift, a crucial detail that was included in the wrongful death lawsuit Dorsey later filed against Ventura County, which was settled in 2022. The rental boat lacked an anchor and flotation devices, which could have helped prevent the tragedy.
Realizing the boat was moving away, Rivera urged Josey to swim back. The young boy recalled grabbing onto “the tanks” and pulling himself “around the boat” while his mother worked to get him to safety.
According to incident reports, Rivera ultimately drowned after exhausting herself helping Josey back onto the boat.
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"He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore," Dorsey said. "It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments."
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The Moment Dorsey Learned Naya Was MissingDorsey found out Rivera was missing through a phone call from her mother’s husband. At the time, he was in a Ralph’s supermarket in Big Bear Lake, California, buying supplies for a friend’s birthday barbecue.
“I collapsed into a pallet of drinks,” Dorsey recalled. “I feared the worst.”
Without hesitation, he raced 145 miles to Lake Piru, desperate to reach his son. “I drove 100-and-something the whole way with my four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes, and I don’t even smoke, really, and just crying,” he said. “I just wanted to get to Josey.”
When authorities found Josey alone and asleep on the drifting boat, it confirmed everyone’s worst fears. Rivera had disappeared beneath the water three hours earlier, and the search for her body had begun.
Coping With Loss And Keeping Naya’s Memory AliveAfter five days of searching, authorities recovered Rivera’s body on July 13, 2020, in a remote part of the lake. “When it happened, I just found myself shaking my head, like, ‘I can't believe she's gone,’" Dorsey admitted. “It's still so surreal every day.”
In the years since the tragedy, Dorsey and Josey have worked to navigate life without Rivera. Two years ago, they relocated from Los Angeles to West Virginia, where they have built a quieter life. While they have made strides in healing, the holidays remain especially difficult.
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"We made this book of memories for Josey that sits by his bed, and during the holidays he was crying looking at it," Dorsey shared. "You can only give him a hug and tell him, 'I know, life is not fair. Bad things happen and there's no reason for it, and you just have to do your best to be a good person.'"
He admits that finding the right words to explain the tragedy is still a challenge.
"It's hard trying to explain things that you can't really make sense of no matter what age you are," he said. "I'm not a big believer in everything happens for a reason because I can't ever think of a reason why he doesn't have his mom."
Moving ForwardDespite the pain, Josey remains a bright and happy child, bringing joy to those around him.
"He wakes up happy, all energy," Dorsey said. "I’m trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man. He gives me a reason to keep going with my life."
Though the loss of Rivera will always be deeply felt, Dorsey continues to honor her memory by raising Josey with love, resilience, and strength—values that Rivera herself embodied.
