The popular actress Naya Rivera, who is known for her role as Santana in 'Glee', was officially declared missing after she disappeared on 8 July.

Her son, 4-year-old Josey, was found alone on a boat on California's Lake Piru.

Not long after that, the world was given the tragic news - the 33-year-old actress' body was found on Monday, 13 July.

At first, the body was not positively identified and it was guessed at whether or not it was Naya.

On 18 July, it was confirmed that the body was indeed that of the missing mother and actress.

The news was heartbreaking and shocked all those who heard.

The Search

Naya and her son were vacationing on Lake Piru when she went missing. She had rented a pontoon but when another boat saw it drifting, the alarm was raised. Josey was alone, sleeping and unharmed.

Naya's life jacket was found on the boat. It is assumed that the mother and son had been swimming in the lake when tragedy struck.

Helicopters and divers were searching until there was no more light and the search proved to be difficult.

Finally, after an intense 6-day search, Naya's body was found floating in the lake.

According to her son, she helped him into the boat but when he looked back, she disappeared under the water.

Cast Members Lovingly Show Their Respects

Some of the cast members who worked with Naya on the set of 'Glee' decided to gather at the lake where her body was found.

She disappeared seven years after the accidental drug overdose of fellow 'Glee' star, Cory Monteith. He passed away on 13 July 2013.

The cast members were seen holding hands on the shore of the lake. They were there just before it was confirmed by the Ventura County Sheriffs that the body they found was indeed Naya's.

Naya's Career

The lovely actress was admired for her acting skills as she played the role of the wicked Santana.

She appeared in most episodes of 'Glee's 6 seasons and her fanbase grew bigger with each new appearance.

After 'Glee' came to an end Rivera decided to try and make it in the music industry. In 2011, the happy news that she had bagged a deal with Columbia Records was shared.

Naya could produce a solo album with the record company and her debut single, 'Sorry' featured Big Sean.

Working with the rapper resulted in a brief romance between the two of them.

However, it seemed that a future in the music world wasn't for Naya and she returned to acting.

The beauty appeared in several movies and TV series such as 'Devious Maids' and 'At The Devil's Door'.

Being A Mom

Naya and her now ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, had a baby together. In 2015, she gave birth to Josey and he became the center of her universe.

Although things didn't work out between Naya and Ryan, they had joint custody of their son.

Naya devoted her time to being a mother and spent a lot of time with her little boy. She often shared photos of her and Josey on her Instagram account.

One day before she disappeared, Naya shared an adorable photo of her and her son. Her admirers now look at it with sorrow in their hearts.