Lake Piru where Naya Rivera has been presumed dead is infamous for drownings due to strong winds and chilly water

Naya Rivera had been out boating with her young son and had gone swimming when she went missing

UPDATED JUL 10, 2020

'Glee' actress Naya Rivera has been presumed dead in Lake Piru, which is said to be notorious for drownings given its dangerous conditions. The 33-year-old actress is believed to have drowned on July 8 when she had gone boating with her 4-year-old son Josey. The two had gone to Lake Piru, which is 56 miles from Los Angeles.

Josey was found safe and asleep on the boat, the police said. The child had told the authorities that his mother had gone swimming in the water but had not climbed back onto the boat. According to the Los Angeles Times, around seven people had drowned between 1994 and 2000. The parks and recreation service manager Douglas West had said at the time of the 2000 article that he had counted at least a dozen drownings over his 23 years of work.

Boats with emergency workers search Lake Piru, where actress Naya Rivera was reported missing on July 9, 2020, in Piru, California (Getty Images)

It was reported that "most drowning victims were swimmers venturing into restricted waters". While speaking to the publication, West said, "The only thing I can emphasize is that if swimmers are around water, they need to wear a personal flotation device whether they know how to swim or not. That will save their lives."

Rivera disappeared after she and her son had rented a pontoon boat and had gone swimming. Ventura County Sheriff Sgt Kevin Donoghue spoke to People and revealed that the search for Rivera is like looking for "a needle in a haystack". He said, "Water searches are really difficult. Sometimes it can take several days before we find any clues or have a recovery." He also highlighted how Lake Piru's difficult conditions also pose a challenge.

"The surface area of the lake is large and your visibility underwater is limited." Donoghue also shared that they had recovered a life jacket from the boat but could not confirm if it was Rivera's. "But… if she had a life jacket, we would find her floating, clearly she is not," he added.

Sergeant Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department speaks during a press conference at Lake Piru where actress Naya Rivera was reported missing on July 9, 2020, in Piru, California (Getty Images)

Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Dyer told Page Six, "We’re talking during the day 8 to 10 inches of visibility in the lake, lots of debris, full-sized trees and debris under the water and varying depths. There’s a lot of uneven terrain under the water which you guys don’t see."

Rivera's last social media post shows her spending time with her son. She had also shared a closeup photo of herself kissing her son. Rivera had captioned the image, "Just the two of us." Another one of her recent posts that featured her in a white shirt was captioned, "No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes every day you're alive is a blessing. make the most of today and every day you are given. Tomorrow is not promised."

Fans and admirers of Rivera have taken to Twitter and trended #findnaya on the social media site. "REALLY? whether it’s day or night MY A**. KEEP SEARCHING FOR NAYA #FindNaya," a fan wrote. While another commented, "Naya could still be alive, she could be in critical condition and they want to stop looking for her???? what the F*** #findnaya."