Investigators “believe” Naya Rivera drowned in a “tragic accident”

And in an updated police report, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department have confirmed they have changed the nature of the incident from a “search for a missing woman”, to a “recovery operation”.

Details of the incident published on Thursday (09.07.20) state that divers have had difficulty seeing in the water which has made the operation a “slow process”, and the report also states investigators now believe it is likely Naya has died.

The report reads: “The search for a missing Los Angeles actress at Lake Piru has turned into a recovery mission as of Thursday morning.

“Naya Rivera rented a boat at the lake Wednesday afternoon and went for an excursion with her four-year-old son. The boat was found drifting in the northern portion of the lake with the child alone and asleep onboard. Rivera’s son told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming in the lake, and he got back in the boat, but Rivera did not.

“Approximately 50 sheriff’s personnel, along with a helicopter, boat crews, divers, and unmanned aerial vehicles searched the lake for five hours Wednesday evening, but Rivera could not be found. The entire shoreline and surface of the lake were thoroughly searched. Divers also searched under water in the area where the boat had last been seen. However, there was no sign of Rivera. The search was suspended at 10:00 pm Wednesday night due to zero visibility in the water and dangerous conditions for the divers.

“The search resumed Thursday morning with divers experiencing less than one foot of visibility in the water in daylight. The difficult conditions have made the recovery operation a very slow process. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is assisting in the search with divers and sonar equipment. Approximately 100 personnel are participating in the mission on Thursday, including resources from neighbouring counties and the United States Coast Guard.

“Investigators believe Rivera drowned in what appears to be a tragic accident.”

Earlier on Thursday, it was confirmed Ventura County Sheriff's Department had deployed "helicopters, boats, and ATV vehicles" to help locate the actress, with "over 80 people involved in the search".