#Naya Rivera Remembered as Glee Cast Visits Lake Piru to Pay Tribute

“#Naya Rivera Remembered as Glee Cast Visits Lake Piru to Pay Tribute”

Some of Naya Rivera’s castmates from Glee showed up to honor her this morning at Lake Piru. They showed up and held hands with Rivera’s family to pay tribute to the actress, who had been missing since Wednesday, July 8th. According to sources, family and friends arrived at the lake before authorities announced that they had found a body. Rivera had brought her 4-year old son to the lake last week to rent a boat and swim and never came back from the water.

The cast of GLEE with Naya Rivera’s family at Lake Piru. This is heartbreaking. ?️? pic.twitter.com/0wiq1Re0B0

— AHS Daily (@ahsfxdaily) July 13, 2020

Former Glee cast members Heather Morris and Amber Riley were in attendance this morning to pay tribute to Naya Rivera. The two actresses had been very vocal on social media about sending support to the Ventura County law enforcement, while also trying to protect the family from negativity and unnecessary drama. Morris reached out to law enforcement over the weekend in an attempt to offer up her services for a ground search with friends and family. Morris said that everybody was feeling “powerless” and “helpless” as more time passed. While not at the lake, Chris Colfer paid tribute to Rivera on social media. He had this to say.

“How can you convey all your love and respect for someone in one post? How can you summarize a decade of friendship and laughter with words alone? If you were friends with Naya Rivera, you simply can’t. Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness. She could turn a bad day into a great day with a single remark. She inspired and uplifted people without even trying. Being close to her was both a badge of honor and a suit of armor. Naya was truly one of a kind, and she always will be. Sending all my love to her wonderful family and her beautiful son.”

It is believed that Naya Rivera accidentally drowned at Lake Piru. Her four-year old son was discovered alone on the rented boat, while asleep with a life jacket on. He revealed that his mother never came back out of the water. From there, Ventura County law enforcement started their search, looking for any evidence that they could find. A text message that Rivera sent to family revealed that she and her son were in a cove, so that’s where the investigation started, though visibility in the lake was not ideal for search missions.

Since Nay Rivera went missing, a petition was set up to warn people about the dangers of Lake Piru. There have been several deaths there over the years, with a Los Angeles Times article from 2000 stating there had been 7 deaths in just six years. The area is also reportedly prone to “very bad” whirlpools, which can suck swimmers down if they aren’t prepared. The goal of the petition is to have the county put up signs to warn people about the potential dangers of swimming in Lake Piru.

Sadly, today would have already been an emotional day for the Glee family. On July 13th, 2013, actor Cory Monteith passed away from an accidental drug overdose, making today the 7th anniversary of his death. In addition to showing up to Lake Piru to honor Naya Rivera, several of her former Glee castmates posted tributes on social media, which you can see compiled below. ABC7 News was the first to report on the Lake Piru tribute to Naya Rivera.

Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family.

— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) July 13, 2020

So much grief today. Grateful for our love and connection. Holding everyone tight. Family for lifetimes.

— Vanessa Lengies (@littlelengies) July 13, 2020

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— Max Adler (@Mr_Max_Adler) July 13, 2020

Show some respect. All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family. No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us. We don’t matter right now.

— Amber Patrice Riley (@MsAmberPRiley) July 12, 2020