Naya Rivera’s Son Tried to Save Her Before Tragic Death, Says Ex-Husband Ryan Dorsey
According to Dorsey, Josey, who was 4 years old at the time, attempted to throw a rope to his mother to help her return to the boat
The case of Naya Rivera, the actress known for her role as Santana in «Glee,» has made headlines again after heartbreaking details about the final moments of her life were revealed. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Ryan Dorsey, Rivera’s ex-husband, shared that their son, Josey, tried to save her on the day of her tragic death in July 2020.
According to Dorsey, Josey, who was 4 years old at the time, attempted to throw a rope to his mother to help her return to the boat they were on. The tragedy took place at Lake Piru in California, where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat.
After some time in the water, Rivera helped Josey get back into the ship, but she herself was unable to climb back in and disappeared under the surface. Her body was found five days later.
Her last public words were a post of her and her little one precisely enjoying their vacation. «Just the two of us,» she wrote.
What Happened to Naya Rivera?
When Dorsey received the call about Rivera’s disappearance, he couldn’t understand anything. “I instantly said, ‘What do you mean? She knows how to swim?’” Dorsey tells PEOPLE.
“I drove 100-and-something the whole way with my four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes — and I don’t even smoke, really — and just crying,” he says. “I just wanted to get to Josey.”
His son was found asleep and alone on an adrift pontoon boat that Rivera had rented three hours earlier that day.
“If we’d have lost both Naya and Josey, I don’t know how I would continue on with my life,” Dorsey reflects.
The search ended on July 13 when Rivera’s body was discovered in a remote part of the lake. Dorsey shares that over time, Josey has recalled more details of that day. After swimming for a while, Rivera noticed the boat «drifting,» as it had not been equipped with an anchor or flotation devices, points Dorsey.
@people #NayaRivera’s son Josey, now 9, watched his late mom in the #Glee movie. “His mom will live forever,” his dad #RyanDorsey ♬ snowfall – Øneheart & reidenshi
She told Josey to swim back, and he recalls pulling himself “around the boat” while holding on to “the tanks,” says Dorsey. (The incident report stated that Rivera drowned after exhausting herself trying to get Josey back onto the boat.)
“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore,» Dorsey says, tears welling up in his eyes. «It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.”
Dorsey even mentions that Josey still struggles with guilt.
“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,” Dorsey shares. “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. I think she just got caught up in a brush — that or a weird undercurrent from the dam. It was just a freak occurrence.”
Life After Tragedy
In response to the tragedy, Dorsey filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ventura County and the area’s Water Management District, claiming that Lake Piru had a «deadly history» and that adequate warnings about the dangers of the location were not provided.
Additionally, the creators of «Glee» established a college fund for Josey, ensuring his future education and showing support from the artistic community during this difficult time.
Despite the tragedy, Josey, now 9 years old, continues to move forward with the support of his father and the community around him. Dorsey emphasizes his commitment to providing a loving and supportive environment for his son, who remains a happy and energetic child.