Josey, now nine, was the only one with Naya when she drowned while swimming in a lake in California in July 2020 – and heartbreakingly remembers the tragic details

Naya Rivera’s son still remembers her tragic final moments – despite only being four at the the time.

The youngster also felt guilt over the Glee actress’ death, and felt he ‘could have saved her’, his father said.

Josey, now nine, was the only one with Naya when she drowned while swimming in a lake in California in July 2020.

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As the fifth anniversary of her death looms, her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey has shared their son’s heartbreaking account of what happened that fateful day.

Ryan, 41, told People “the last thing Naya said was his [her son’s] name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore”.

He said Josey could still recall details of the day, and continued to speak about it, telling his dad he’d been worried about joining his mum for a swim in the lake because it was so windy.

Although he’d eventually joined her in the water, Naya told Josey to swim back to their rented boat – which did not have an anchor or any flotation devices – when she realised it was floating away.

Ryan said Josey remembered grabbing “the tanks” and pulling himself “around the boat to hop on”.

He continued: “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. That obviously still sticks out in his head because he feels like he could have saved her.

“I think she just got caught up in a brush — that or a weird undercurrent from the dam. It was just a freak occurrence.”

The actor said: “It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.

“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore.”

Naya was reported missing after Josey was found alone on a boat on Lake Piru in Southern California, the Mirror reports.

The actress had rented a pontoon to take her young son out on the waters of the national park.

While Josey was wearing a life jacket, Naya’s float was still in the boat.

Her disappearance sparked a mass search mission, which resulted in her body being found in the lake several days later.