Teams Enter Day 5 In Search At Lake Piru For 'Glee' Star Naya Rivera
LAKE PIRU (CBSLA) — Search teams were at Lake Piru on Sunday on the fifth day of the search for 33-year-old "Glee" actress Naya Rivera, who disappeared while boating last Wednesday and is presumed dead.
Using side-scanning sonar technology and cadaver dogs, divers checked within the lake and deputies on foot searched the shoreline and local cabins for signs of Rivera.
Authorities believe the actress drowned in the lake while swimming with her 4-year-old son, who was found in the boat alone wearing his life jacket.
Ventura County Sheriff's Office and the Tulare and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's departments participated the search.
Fans and loved ones have rallied online, hoping to find more information that will lead to Rivera.
The VCSO said on Twitter that the lake is closed and people should not try to conduct their own searches around the area because of the rough terrain and other potentially dangerous factors.
"For those intent on searching for Naya Rivera on your own, 1. The lake is closed. 2. Temps are already in the 90's. 3. The terrain around the lake is very steep and rugged. Our teams are well equipped and highly trained. We don't want to have to rescue you," the tweet read.
For those intent on searching for Naya Rivera on your own, 1. The lake is closed. 2. Temps are already in the 90's. 3. The terrain around the lake is very steep and rugged. Our teams are well equipped and highly trained. We don't want to have to rescue you.
— Ventura County Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 12, 2020
While the exact circumstances of Rivera's disappearance are unclear, investigators said they do not suspect foul play.
They do believe a contributing factor to her presumed drowning could have been that the wind picked up on the lake and may have caused her boat to drift and that the current got too strong while she was swimming.
The VCSO said search teams will be back out on Monday morning to continue looking for Rivera.