After Naya Rivera goes missing at Lake Piru, petition seeks safety measures at tourist spot: 'Put up the signs'
After 'Glee' star Naya Rivera went missing and was presumed to have drowned in Lake Piru in South California, on July 8, angry locals have started a petition demanding more protection for swimmers who are unaware of the hidden perils of the famous tourist destination. "Naya Rivera is not the first, nor the last to go missing at Lake Piru. Lake Piru is a very deep lake with very bad whirlpools, people have been asking for years for the city to put up warning signs for swimmers. Locals of Ventura County don’t go to Lake Piru for this reason! Tourist have no idea what they’re getting into. Lake Piru needs signs. We’re tired of waiting. We need justice for all those who got lost at Lake Piru. Put up the signs," the petition filed on Change.org by Erin Jordan reads. Despite starting less than 24 hours ago, the petition has already gathered over 18,000 signatures and close to completing its goal of collecting 25,000 signatures.
According to Ventura County Sheriff's Twitter page, "The search for Naya Rivera will continue this morning at Lake Piru. The lake will be closed to the public while search operations continue. Dive teams from throughout the region will be assisting us through mutual aid." A Los Angeles Times article from 2000 reported that 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.
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," he added.
Although there are photos showing warning signs put up around the lake, telling visitors to avoid swimming or wading in the waters, residents around the area said that people on boats don't seem to be properly forewarned and it's natural for people on boats to want to take a dip into the waters to cool themselves off on a hot, summer day. Also, Lake Piru does not have many lifeguards and as a result, swimmers "are engaging in a hazardous recreational activity and do so at their own risk."
The 33-year-old along with her son Josey reportedly went for boating and swimming in the afternoon after renting a pontoon boat on Lake Piru. However, three hours after they sailed, another boater raised the alarm after finding Josey alone on board, asleep. When officers responded to the scene, they found an adult life-vest life jacket there, suggesting Rivera was not wearing one. They also found the actress’ wallet and identification on the boat, which helped them to confirm the identity of the missing person.
Rivera’s son Josey has told detectives that her mother “jumped in the water and didn't come back up”. Captain Eric Buschow, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, said: “The [son] said that he had been swimming with his mother and that he got back in the boat and his mum didn't." Chris Dyer, a Ventura County Sheriff officer, said that they are “hopeful” but are “realistic” too about the ‘Glee’ star. "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," he added.