Heartbreaking detail about death of Glee star Naya Rivera saving her son from drowning is revealed

Naya Rivera’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, has opened up about her death nearly five years on.

The Glee star died saving her and Dorsey’s then four-year-old son, Josey from drowning in July, 2020. The pair’s boat had drifted away when they were swimming in Lake Piru in California, with Josey at risk of going under.

Her body was discovered a few days after, with an incident report into Rivera’s death stated that she had drowned due to the exhaustion from pushing her son back onto the boat (via The Hollywood Reporter).

In the interview with PEOPLE, Dorsey opened up about various heartbreaking aspects to the tragic incident.

Naya Rivera died in 2020 due to drowning (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

The actor, who married Rivera in 2014 before getting divorced in 2018, said that her death was something he still deals with.

He said: “When it happened, I just found myself shaking my head, like, 'I can't believe she's gone. It's still so surreal every day."

One particular aspect, however, was especially heartbreaking.

Dorsey spoke about how Josey has struggled with one thing from the day, saying: “Something he’s said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft, and there was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it. I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough'."

The heartbreaking revelation was shared along with Rivera’s final words, with Dorsey saying: “He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore.

“It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.”

She died saving her son's life (Gregg DeGuire via Getty Images)

Rivera’s death lead to a wrongful death lawsuit against Ventura County, which was filed by Rivera’s estate via Dorsey on behalf of their son in 2022.

According to Sky News, they claimed that the boat she had rented did not have the proper safety equipment or features, calling her death 'utterly preventable'.

The lawsuit also highlighted the lake’s ‘deadly history’, citing that over two dozen people had died since 1959, and claimed there was not ‘a single sign anywhere’ which warned ‘of the lake's strong currents’, according to PEOPLE.

Ventura County responded by saying her death was not their fault and that she had declined to wear a lifejacket, which they say had been put on the boat.

Ultimately the lawsuit was settled, with lawyer, Amjad M Khan, saying in a statement: “Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru.

Dorsey and Rivera (Joe Scarnici via Getty Images)

“Though the tragic loss of Josey's mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy.”

Though this is Dorsey’s first sit down interview since Rivera’s death, he has posted multiple statements to Instagram and other social media in the time since.

He said in one post: “This is so unfair... there's not enough words to express the hole left in everyone's hearts. I can't believe this is life now. I don't know if I'll ever believe it.

"You were just here...We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn't fair."