Authorities have confirmed that the body found and recovered in Lake Piru is that of actress Naya Rivera.
Earlier today (July 13), Ventura County Sheriff's Office tweeted on their official account that a body had been found and was in process of being recovered. The tweet read:
"A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. There will be a news conference at 2 pm at the lake."
Now, at a press conference held at the lake, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub has said:
"Today our search teams recovered a body in the lake. Based on the location where the body was found, physical characteristics of the body, clothing found on the body, and the physical condition of the body - as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area - we are confident that the body found is that of Naya Rivera."
Officials added that "she was found in a north-eastern portion of the lake, near the surface of the water".
Ayub added that Naya's four-year-old son was able to help detectives with their investigation, saying:
"We know from speaking with her son that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey. it was during that time that she's son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him into the boat from behind.
"He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water."
Police added that they do not suspect foul play and that there is no indication of suicide.
A post-mortem examination will follow.
The 33-year-old Glee star - who played cheerleader Santana Lopez in the hit musical TV show - had reportedly rented a pontoon boat with her four-year-old son on Wednesday afternoon (July 8) to venture out onto Lake Piru in Ventura County, California.
However, just three hours later, another boater raised the alarm after finding Rivera's boat with just her son asleep inside, BBC News reported.
Over the weekend, Ventura County Sherriff's Department released underwater footage of Lake Piru showing the poor levels of visibility.
Captain Eric Buschow explained in a press conference on Friday that the department has brought in "specialized equipment", including a sonar system, in a bid to locate the actress' body.
The lake itself spans 1,200 acres and can reach depths of up to 130 feet.
As well as dive teams and sonar, dozens of people and sniffer dogs searched the surrounding area.
Over the weekend, Naya's mom, father, younger brother, and ex-husband had all been spotted visiting the area. Naya's mom was photographed kneeling on the dock with her arms outstretched, facing the lake.
Former Glee star Heather Morris also took to Twitter to ask the Ventura County Sheriff's Office if she could join in the search for her missing former co-star.
Morris later took to Twitter to ensure her fans that authorities were doing everything in their power to find Naya, and urged people to stay away from the site for their own safety.
Rivera's last Instagram post was a picture of her and her son, Josey, captioned: "It's just the two of us."
In another post published last week, Rivera told her fans: "No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you're alive is a blessing. make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised [sic]."
Rivera started her career in the spotlight as a child actress and model, appearing in TV commercials in the US.
At four years old, she landed the role in the CBS sitcom The Royal Family - and had a number of other TV appearances followed.
However, Rivera became a household name when she landed the role of cold-hearted cheerleader Santana Lopez in Glee back in 2009.
Rivera married fellow actor Ryan Dorsey back in 2014, and the couple welcomed their son - Josey Hollis Dorsey - in 2015.
The couple divorced in 2018, but maintained joint custody of their son up until Rivera's passing.
Our thoughts go out to Naya's family, friends, and fans at this time...
