She rented a boat at the lake with her 4-year-old son Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. About three hours later another boater spotted a boat on the lake drifting with a young child asleep on board. The boater contacted rangers who began a search for the child's parent using an aerial survey and a dive team.
[Ads /]
"There's no evidence of foul play at this point," Capt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office told reporters at the scene. "This may well be a case of drowning."
After several hours, authorities suspended the search about 10 p.m. due to hazardous conditions.
Investigators said the child was found wearing a life vest, with an adult's vest also found on the boat. The boy told authorities he had gone swimming with his mother.
[Ads /]
The search resumed early Thursday morning, and hours later authorities announced that it had transitioned to a recovery operation.
The 33-year-old Rivera grew up in the Los Angeles area and first began acting as a child, but broke through with a role as a cheerleader on "Glee" and later released her own music.
She married actor Ryan Dorsey in 2014 and they had a son, Josey Hollis, in September 2015. The couple divorced in 2018.