Ryan Dorsey and the late 'Glee' star's estate executors have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against county officials, claiming the boat she rented failed to meet state safety standards.
- Nov 19, 2020
AceShowbiz - Actor Ryan Dorsey has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against officials in Ventura County, California, holding them responsible for the drowning of his ex-wife, Naya Rivera.
The "Glee" star disappeared on July 8 after taking the former couple's then-four-year-old son Josey on a boat ride on Lake Piru. Her body was recovered following an extensive police search on July 13, and authorities ruled her cause of death was accidental drowning.
Now Dorsey and Rivera's estate executors have launched legal action on behalf of Josey, claiming the boat rented from county officials failed to meet state safety standards.
In the documents, filed on Tuesday, November 17 and obtained by TMZ, Dorsey's attorney, Amjad Khan, alleges the vessel was "not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats, nor any flotation or lifesaving devices."
Khan claims the boat would have stayed put if Rivera, who had "strong swimming skills", had been provided with the safety equipment required by law, instead of allegedly "rocking back and forth forcefully in the current and wind" and drifting away from the actress and her boy when they jumped into the water for a swim.
The plaintiffs also highlight the lack of proper signage around Lake Piru, warning people of the "strong currents, low visibility, high winds, changing water depths, underwater caves, ledges and drop offs, or the trees, brush and other debris that congest its waters due to the vastly changing water levels and winds."
And they note there is a "deadly history" at the popular resort, where "more than two dozen people have drowned" since 1959.
Officials at the United Water Conservation District and the county's Parks and Recreation Management department have also been listed as defendants in the lawsuit, which additionally cites negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Dorsey and Rivera were married from 2014 to 2018.
She was just 33 when she tragically drowned.
