Naya Rivera's ex-husband has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the boat that the "Glee" star rented before she drowned.
Ryan Dorsey filed the lawsuit on behalf of 5-year-old son Josey Hollis Dorsey, who was with Naya the day that she disappeared into the water of Southern California's Lake Piru, TMZ reported on Nov. 18. Ryan, via his lawyer, argued that the boat Naya and Josey were on didn't comply with safety standards.
The pontoon boat, Ryan says, 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" — which he says violates California law.
Naya, who played Santana Lopez on the hit FOX show for six seasons, went missing on the afternoon of July 8 after taking Josey on the lake. Three hours after Naya rented the boat, it was spotted adrift with only Josey asleep and alone on board.
Naya's body was recovered on July 13.
Authorities later said the actress was swimming with her son when the water got rough, causing the boat to drift. After battling a strong current, she got back to the vessel and "mustered the energy" to heroically save her son, boosting him back up into the boat. This, however, left Naya exhausted, and she disappeared into the water.
The coroner confirmed that Naya died of accidental drowning.
As part of the lawsuit, Ryan claims there were no signs to warn of the lake's dangerous conditions. His legal documents also state that the person who rented the boat to Naya never warned her to wear a life preserver while out of the boat.
Ryan noted that more than two dozen people have drown in Lake Piru.