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It occurs to me that many people shocked about #nayarivera ‘s disappearance aren’t well versed or experienced in water safety and lifesaving. Conspiracy theories of all stripes are popping up. I just wanna thread out some of this and gently explain stuff for anyone confused. /1
1) “Didn’t anyone see her drowning or make a noise?” Sadly drowning can be quiet and very quick. It only takes a minute. There is a reason there are lots of lifeguards watching pools, beaches and lakes at all times. They know the signs, and they’re not what you expect. /2
2) “She wouldn’t just leave her kid!” She probably didn’t think she’d be leaving her kid for longer than a minute. She clearly trusted those waters and felt confident in them, which is always a mistake. Water is like a wild dog. Never trust it. /3
3) “Why did they stop looking for her at night? She could still be alive!” From what I’ve read, they did a full surface check and looked for her in the land surrounding the lake, to no avail. Given this, and the son’s relay of what happened, it is unlikely she is alive... /4
Lakes are not like pools or ponds. Especially man-made ones. Some have soft bottoms. They are often silty and muddy, visibility can be poor even at day time. Some divers have describe looking for Naya in Lake Piru like “searching by Braille”, as they have to feel ... /5
... rather than see through goggles. This lake truly is huge, and finding a person in all that, where places can be deep as 120 ft, where there are currents under the still top, patches of very cold water, is difficult and dangerous, even in the day time. /6
... Night time is pointless and deadly. One cannot risk the lives of the divers when the chances are slim to none that the missing person is alive. Search crews are people with families and loved ones too. They are all doing their best, but this is a sad reality of drownings. /7
4) “They gave up because she’s a WoC!” I am not versed enough in the politics of this, nor a WoC myself, so I will refrain from arguing this point. I have no doubt search crews have been half-assed in the past when POC have been missing. In this case, I have no idea. /8
5) “She’d been to this lake heaps of times and been fine!” No doubt. I have visited risky locations too, many times. Lakes with deadly snake populations, reefs with rips and tides and deadly marine life, driving through long empty stretches of road out bush (I’m 
). /9
). /9
Growing up in Australia, people going missing from the beach is on the news quite frequently. These people aren’t always tourists. Some of them are experienced reef fishermen, rock fishermen, spear fishermen, swimmers, surfers, divers, etc. It only takes *one* lapse of /10
... judgement, one tiny mistake and you’re done. Naya, God bless her, made two that I could see. It’s no judgement on her, everyone fudges things or makes mistakes sometimes. Everyone has moments of overconfidence or whatever. Unfortunately Mother Nature don’t care. /11
Edit: My line “Growing up in Australia” is missing “I saw news articles...[etc]”. I have very mild concussion today so words are helium balloons to me right now. Apologies.
Okay! So, what did she do wrong? I’ll go into some rules we’re taught here in my country, just like we’re taught to run and swim and cross roads and ride bikes, etc. Please remember them, always, so we can prevent tragedies like Naya’s. /12
- Be familiar with the unique dangers of the place you are visiting. A beach? Check for tides, sand bars, dangerous animals, etc. ALWAYS obey the warning signage, take note of safety personnel, and be sure to have the appropriate equipment required for your activity. /13
- Be stringent with your safety equipment usage. Naya Rivera had a flotation jacket that she did not use when she went into the water and disappeared. Perhaps she thought she was just dipping in for a moment, who knows. Danger doesn’t care how long you risk yourself. /14
Particularly in dangerous waters, peril and death can happen in a moment, even to the most experienced people. If you are boating, swimming in water that is notoriously dangerous, ALWAYS wear a life jacket. Even a swimming champion needs to wear a jacket. Only take it off /15
... when you are back on land. That might seem over the top, but people rarely die from being too cautious. (Don’t send me contrary examples, for God’s sakes!) /16
- Always notify someone that you are going out on the water, but better yet, never go alone. Yes, technically Ms Rivera had her son with her, but clearly that didn’t count. Appropriate accompaniment is vital to safety. One person can disappear, two adults can help each other. /17
- Finally, do a safety check before you begin your activities, and after you’re done to make sure the equipment is still ok. Pedantic? Yes. Useless? Never. This isn’t directly related to Naya Rivera’s actions, but I thought I’d mention it while I was talking about safety. /18
In conclusion, it might seem impossible that a healthy, fit, vibrant young woman could just disappear from a boat on a lake she’d been to many times before. But I have seen too many stories like this, and it is all too common. It is not fantastical, or strange. /19
It is something that happens all too often, we just rarely hear about it because it’s non-famous people that tend to go missing. Jeff Buckley died while swimming clothed in the Mississippi River. This stuff happens, and it’s heartbreaking. It might be tempting or compelling /20
to find rescue people to blame, or a nefarious plot, a crazed stalker, etc. Until there is evidence, this is pure conjecture. But it is far, far more likely, as per Occam’s Razor, that this is a tragic accidental drowning. My heart breaks for her family. /21
My deepest sympathies and love to Naya Rivera’s family. To her fans, especially you queer kids, I feel your pain. I’ve lost beloved icons to bizarre accidents (Jeff Buckley, Kevin Smith) and it can mess with you. Be kind to yourselves, darlings. Most of all, please ... /22
For the love of God, *TAKE WATER SERIOUSLY*. Be careful, obey water safety rules, and treat your life like a precious thing, because it is. Vaya con Dios, Naya. Be at peace, wherever you are. 
Also, any corrections are welcome. I am no expert, just an avid beach goer.
