Naya Rivera's son has revealed the actress' final heartbreaking words before she tragically drowned in front of him.
On July 8, 2020, the Glee star and her son Josey went on a boating trip at Lake Piru in California, a popular location for swimming and boating.
But four hours after they left shore, the little boy, who was four at the time, was discovered alone and asleep in the pontoon boat wearing a lifejacket. His 33-year-old mother was declared missing, and an urgent hunt was launched to try and find her.
Tragically, five days later, on the anniversary of her Glee co-star Cory Monteith’s death, Rivera’s body was discovered in the lake. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.
Nearly five years after Rivera's death, her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey is now opening up to People about their son's heartbreaking memories of that day - including his mom telling him: “Don’t be silly!” after he told her he was scared to swim.
The mother and son had been enjoying the water together when the actress noticed their boat drifting away. Josey still remembers holding onto “the tanks” as he struggled to bring himself back to the boat.
Watch the interview below:“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore,” Dorsey shared.
One of the most heartbreaking details the father shared is how his son still carries guilt over his mother’s death.
“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,” he told the outlet.
“I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough.’ That obviously still sticks out in his head because he feels like he could have saved her," he added.
Dorsey went on to speculate that the drowning was likely caused by a freak current or perhaps Rivera was caught in the underwater brush.
“I probably would have jumped in, and I like to think I would've saved the day,” he admitted. “But on the other hand, I think maybe something bad could have happened to both of us. I don't know.”
The 41-year-old was shopping at a supermarket in Big Bear Lake, California when he got the call that Rivera had disappeared.
“I instantly said, ‘What do you mean? She knows how to swim.’ He said, 'They jumped in, and Josey got back on, and they're trying to find Naya,’” Dorsey recalled.
The devastating news hit him like a ton of bricks so he drove towards Lake Piru with his "four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes," adding: "I don’t even smoke, really - and just crying. I just wanted to get to Josey.
“If we’d have lost both Naya and Josey, I don’t know how I would continue on with my life,” he emotionally shared. "I don't know what I would've done, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been good."
In 2022, Rivera’s bereaved family reached a wrongful death settlement against Ventura County.
In a statement to E! News, they expressed relief that the settlement would help provide for Josey’s future.
“Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru,” the statement read.
“Though the tragic loss of Josey’s mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy,” they added.
