One day after the body of 33 year-old former “Glee” actress Naya Rivera was found in Lake Piru, her family spoke out to pay tribute to their “beautiful legend.”

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week,” Rivera’s family said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister.”

“Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya,” the family continued. “We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support.”

“Heaven gained our sassy angel. We kindly request that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time,” the statement concluded.

Rivera’s body was found five days after she went missing while boating on Lake Piru in California with her 4 year-old son Josey. Three hours after they rented their pontoon boat, Josey was found sleeping on the vessel alone, with Rivera nowhere to be found.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Tuesday that Rivera’s cause of death was drowning after performing an autopsy and finding no evidence of drugs or alcohol in her system. The sheriff’s department concluded that Rivera and her son had left the boat to go for a swim, with Josey wearing a life vest while his mother was not.

Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub explained that Josey had told investigators that Rivera had helped him get back on the boat, but when he looked back, he saw her disappear into the water.

“It would be speculation to say at this point,” Ayub said of what could have happened. “There are a lot of currents on the lake that get up here, particularly in the afternoon. We believe it was mid-afternoon when she disappeared. The idea of perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself.”

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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