Naya Rivera has been missing for days after a boating trip with her son, Josey, at Lake Piru. As the search and rescue team continues to look for her in the water, how dangerous is this lake?
According to In Touch, Lake Piru is known for being "notoriously dangerous" due to its "strong winds and chilly water." Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman, Captain Eric Buschow, told the publication that a lot is going on in these big reservoirs.
It has "plenty of currents" and "people drown in California lakes every year." Steve White, the former Ventura State Beach lifeguard supervisor, told the Los Angeles Times that the changing temperature of the water, added with large waves and rip currents could be very dangerous.
In Lake Piru, the strong winds can already create big waves that can rock a small boat, where an unsteady passenger can tip into the water. Its deep columns of icy water could also overwhelm people.
Sadly, as River has been missing for about three days, authorities fear that they may never find her body. Sgt. Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a press conference that it would depend in the situation if they could still recover her remains if she indeed drowned.
He explained that if her body was entangled beneath the water, there might be a high chance that it would never come back up. However, he made it cleared that he still didn't know the possibility of it yet.
Rivera went missing hours after she rented a pontoon boat with her son on Wednesday, July 8, Us Weekly noted. Luckily, the four-year-old kid was found safe, but he's alone in the boat. Donoghue revealed that the child told the officials that his mother went swimming and never came back.
Josey gave enough information about the incident that led the investigators to conclude that the 33-year-old actress "never made it out of the water." Although the lake had no strong undercurrents like that of in the ocean, the water could sometimes be freezing.
Donoghue explained that the hypothermic elements being in the cold water could affect some people, although he didn't know what could have been the case for Rivera. He also added that swimming in the lake is permitted.
There is about 100 personnel searching for Rivera in Lake Piru. The majority of them are divers, revealing the resources that they have are from Tulare County, Los Angeles County, and San Luis Obispo County.
They also get the help of helicopter crew chiefs, pilots, and people who organize the search efforts. They are also in contact with Rivera's family to give them updates. However, Donoghue noted that the visibility in the lake is "terrible."
