Nearly three weeks after actress Naya Rivera‘s passing, her death certificate has been made public. As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Rivera passed away on July 8 while she was boating with her 4-year-old son Josey.
The mother and son duo had rented a pontoon boat to sail around Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. It is believed that Rivera drowned while she and Josey were swimming. According to authorities, Rivera’s last moments were spent saving her son’s life. The actress was able to muster up enough energy to get Josey back onto the boat, sadly she did not.
Actress Naya Rivera Laid to Rest as Death Certificate Is Made Public
Josey was discovered on the boat several hours later wrapped in a towel, still wearing his life vest, and asleep. He told authorities that he watched his mom float to the bottom of the lake.
Five days after she went missing her body was discovered. Now the late actress’s death certificate is revealing her official cause of death just days after she was officially laid to rest.
According to the Daily Mail, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed Rivera’s cause of death was an accidental drowning. There were no underlying ailments and no drugs or alcohol were found in Rivera’s system. According to the death certificate, the 33-year-old drowned “in minutes,” Page Six reports.
On July 24, Rivera’s family and friends had a small gathering to say goodbye to the talented performer for the last time. According to E! News, she was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.
In a statement written by her family and issued by Rivera’s manager to Deadline, they wrote that “Heaven gained our sassy angel.” They also described her spirit as magnetic.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey, and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent but was an even greater person, mother, daughter, and sister.”
RELATED: Ryan Dorsey Speaks Out for the First Time Since Ex-Wife Actress Naya Rivera’s Passing
It has been reported just how much Rivera enjoyed being a mother to little Josey. Her final Instagram post was a picture of the two fo them with the caption, “Just the two of us.” Josey is now with his dad.