Lake Piru, where Naya Rivera is presumed dead, notorious for drownings

The Southern California lake where “Glee” actress Naya Rivera is presumed to have died is notorious for drownings due to dangerous conditions, according to reports.

Rivera, 33, was believed to have drowned Wednesday while boating with her 4-year-old son, Josey, in Lake Piru, about 56 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Her son, who was found safe and asleep on the vessel, told authorities that his mom went swimming in the water but never climbed back onto the boat.

The 1,200-acre reservoir has been the site of numerous drownings over the years due to chilly temperatures that can overwhelm swimmers — as well as strong winds that are powerful enough to tip over a small boat, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Douglas West, Lake Piru’s former parks and recreation services manager, said there had been about a dozen drownings during his 23 years there, the newspaper reported.

Most were inexperienced swimmers who are not wearing life jackets and are overconfident about their ability to trek restricted areas of the waters, he said.

“The only thing I can emphasize is that if swimmers are around water, they need to wear a personal flotation device whether they know how to swim or not,” West said. “That will save their lives.”

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chris Dyer said Thursday that Rivera had been to the lake before, though her swimming ability is not known.

She had left her lifejacket behind on the rented vessel, which has since been recovered as authorities search for the missing actress.

Dyer said “dangerous conditions” prompted authorities to temporarily suspend the operation around 10 p.m. Wednesday.

“We’re talking during the day 8 to 10 inches of visibility in the lake, lots of debris, full-sized trees and debris under the water and varying depths,” Dyer said.

He said the water’s depth ranges from 3 or 4 feet to as deep as 50 feet, making the reservoir difficult to navigate.

“There’s a lot of uneven terrain under the water which you guys don’t see,” Dyer said.

On Thursday morning, helicopters, dive teams, ATV vehicles and boats all scoured the lake, which authorities closed to the public to aid the efforts.

“The goal is still to bring Ms. Rivera home to her family so they can have some closure,” Dyer told reporters.

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