Authorities searching for Glee actress Naya Rivera have released CCTV footage of the mother and her son Josey arriving at Lake Piru and boarding their small boat, which would eventually be found with the young boy alone.
The Ventura Sheriff’s Department released the footage Thursday, showing the 33-year-old and her four-year-old son arrive at the lake on Wednesday.
It comes as authorities have had to suspend the search for the actress on Thursday night, the second since she was first reported missing on Wednesday. The search will continue in the morning.
Footage shows Rivera pulling into the parking lot and helping get Josey out of her truck, before proceeding to the boat rental.
The Ventura Sheriff’s Department released the footage Thursday, showing the 33-year-old and her four-year-old son arrive at the lake on Wednesday
Actress Naya Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon
The pair are then walked to their pontoon boat, loading onto the vessel before taking off. They can be seen heading north in the boat.
The release of the footage comes as the department has also shared the 911 call from the boat rental facility, reporting the missing actress and incorrectly identifying her son as a girl.
Two German Shepherds from the California Rescue Dog Association have also been added to the expanding search party for Rivera, the Ventura County Star reports.
They are trained to detect gasses that are released by human cadavers, performing a search along a grid of the lake and assisting divers in potentially locating Rivera’s body.
The clip shows the pair walk over to get assistance with the boat rental, being led to their eventual vessel
Rivera and her son load their things onto the boat before taking off
Footage shows Rivera and her son take off on the pontoon boat
The boat can be seen heading north in the reservoir and would not be seen for several hours
Sgt. Bill Hutton described the the search as being ‘very technical,’ adding that the search for the actress will continue until nightfall. GPS data from the search will then be analyzed overnight.
Authorities do plan to release footage to show just how difficult some of the conditions have been in the search.
Sgt Kevin Donoghue from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, speaking at Lake Piru, said more than 100 police and first responders are now searching for Naya’s body – and the search will go on through the night.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this terrible time and we hope to bring closure for them,’ he said.
The search for the Glee star resumed at first light on Thursday.
Two German Shepherds from the California Rescue Dog Association have also been added to the expanding search party for Rivera, the Ventura County Star reports
The dogs are trained to detect gasses that are released by human cadavers, performing a search along a grid of the lake and assisting divers in potentially locating the Rivera’s body
It has involved helicopters from the Sheriff’s Office and Coastguard as well as multiple dive teams operating from six boats.
The small vessel Naya was using is moored at the dock, marked off with yellow police tape. Sgt Donoghue said her purse and ID was found alongside her son.
There was also a life jacket onboard and her son was wearing a second life jacket.
‘We know she has been to this lake before and is familiar with it but we aren’t sure whether her son has been here,’ he added.
This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives
Members of Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team search for the actress. More than 100 personnel are currently looking for Rivera
A helicopter joins members of Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team in search for Rivera
He said officers are in constant contact with the actress’ family.
‘As far as we understand, her son is physically okay,’ he said.
‘From what I understand, he has told investigators his mother never made it out of the water.
Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday.
Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Glee star Naya in June 2018, was visibly upset earlier in the day as he woke up to the reality of what had happened.
Police have cornered off the pontoon boat believed to have been the one used by Rivera and her son
Members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in a boat on Thursday
Members of Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team search for former ‘Glee’ actress Naya Rivera
Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat.
The housemate, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Ryan headed up there as soon as their son was found to look after him. He was gone by the time I got home Wednesday. ‘
The small vessel Naya was using is moored at the dock, marked off with yellow police tape. Sgt Donoghue said her purse and ID was found alongside her son.
There was also a life jacket onboard and her son was wearing a second life jacket.
He also said investigators have CCTV footage from the dock showing only Naya and her son getting onboard the small boat.
Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday
‘We know she has been to this lake before and is familiar with it but we aren’t sure whether her son has been here,’ he added.
He said officers are in constant contact with the actress’ family.
‘As far as we understand, her son is physically okay,’ he said.
‘From what I understand, he has told investigators his mother never made it out of the water.
Authorities initially reported the ‘potential drowning victim’ on Wednesday evening and had to end their search the first night, describing tumultuous conditions for the diving teams.