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Naya Rivera’s father, Mr. George Rivera, revealed his famous daughter asked him if it was a good idea to go for a swim the day she drowned. In an exclusive interview with People , Mr. Rivera gave details on what happened moments before the actress went missing.
According to Mr. Rivera, Naya called him on FaceTime from the lake, seeking a piece of advice. “She would always bounce stuff off me,” he told the publication. “And she wanted to go swimming with Josey out in the middle of the lake.” The late actress also informed that the boat she rented didn’t have an anchor, which raised concern to her dad.
At that moment, Mr. Rivera knew that jumping into the lake was a bad idea. “I could see that the wind was blowing, and my stomach was just cringing,” recalls Mr. George. “I kept telling her, ‘Don’t get out of the boat! Don’t get out of the boat! It will drift away when you’re in the water.’”
Mr. Rivera revealed that after about three minutes, their FaceTime call cut out. “I had this bad feeling that was just killing me,” he said.
The Glee star was reported missing on Wednesday, July 8, after her four-year-old son Josey Dorsey was found alone in the boat. Boaters discovered the child sleeping on the vessel wearing his life vest, while an adult jacket was found onboard.
According to a press release shared by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the actress’ son “told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming in the lake, and he got back in the boat, but Rivera did not.” Investigators believed “Rivera drowned in what appears to be a tragic accident.”
According to the Ventura County Medical Examiner, Naya Rivera drowned after exhausting herself helping Josey back into the boat. “We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera,” Sheriff Bill Ayub said during the press conference, adding: “There is no indication of foul play and no indication this was a suicide.”
“It’s still pretty much a big blur of pain almost a year later,” Mr. Rivera told People. ”Things are slowly coming a little more into focus, but I don’t know if I’ll ever find closure from this. I miss her every day.”