The Ventura County sheriff suggested that Rivera and Dorsey likely found themselves caught in a rip current – these can be common in the area of the lake they were in, especially during the afternoon – and struggled to get back to the boat, which was found unanchored and so may have drifted from where they entered the water. He concluded that Rivera likely "mustered enough energy to save her son, but not enough to save herself", noting how Dorsey described being pushed back onto the boat by his mother.
