Naya Rivera Screamed For 'Help' Before She Drowned, 4-Year-Old Son Told Investigators

Naya Rivera cried out for help before she drowned, the actress' 4-year-old son told investigators.

Rivera passed away on July 8 during an outing with her young son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, at California's Lake Piru. The mother and son rented a pontoon boat and decided to go for a swim, but the "Glee" star didn't manage to get back into the boat. Rivera used her remaining strength to make sure that her son was safe.

"She helped him onto the boat and he then heard (his mother) yell 'help' and she put her arm in the air," an investigative report from Ventura County report obtained by CNN read. "She then disappeared into the water."

Rivera's cause of death is drowning, and her death certificate revealed that she died within minutes. Her body was recovered in the northeast part of Lake Piru less than a week after she was reported missing.

“The circumstances and visual characteristics all indicated that the body was that of Naya Rivera and the identity has been confirmed by dental comparison,” the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a press release.

“The body has been x-rayed and a full autopsy has been performed,” the document continued. “The autopsy findings are consistent with a drowning and the condition of the body is consistent with the time that she was submerged. No traumatic injuries or disease processes were identified at autopsy.”

The investigative report and an autopsy report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office both revealed that Rivera didn't have a history of "suicidal ideation or attempt." However, it was found that she had vertigo that got worse when she dove into the reservoir.

Rivera was offered a life jacket by employees when she rented the boat, but she declined. The employee told the investigators that he gave her a life jacket anyway.

When the boat was past due for return, the staff checked on her but only found her son on the boat, wrapped in a towel while wearing a life vest.

Meanwhile, Robert Inglis of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office search & rescue team believes that the strong winds in the area contributed to the drowning. He said the gust of wind may have blown the boat away from the mother and son while they were swimming.

The official also said that wearing a live vest is another factor. If Rivera had worn a life jacket, she could have saved her energy while trying to go after the boat, Inglis said.