The former Glee actress Naya Rivera is missing and assumed to have drowned at a lake in southern California.

The 33-year-old actress had rented a pontoon boat at the lake, where her four-year-old son, Josey, was found wearing a lifejacket.

Josey is reported to have told investigators that his mother was swimming but could not make it back to the boat. Rivera’s identification was also found on the boat.

A search operation at Lake Piru was suspended on Wednesday evening and was due to resume on Thursday.

Eric Buschow, a spokesman for the Ventura County sheriff’s department, said at a press conference that there was “no evidence of foul play at this point” and “this may well be a case of drowning”.