Emilie Kiser says son Trigg's drowning death was 'very preventable'

Influencer Emilie Kiser is raising awareness about water safety nearly a year after her 3-year-old son Trigg died in a drowning accident.

In a TikTok video posted April 30, Kiser said her son's death was "very preventable" and added that she's opening up about the accident to encourage parents to take safety measures with their kids around pools this summer.

"If this comes across your page, instead of ridiculing the video, or passing by it, or scrolling or saying, 'This would never be me,' I just really hope you take at least one of the things that I'm saying and apply it so that drownings happen less," the 27-year-old said.

Federal statistics tally more than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths each year, with rates increasing in the summer. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries for ages 5-14.

Kiser encouraged viewers to implement measures like pool fences, door alarms and infant swimming resource lessons.

In May 2025, Kiser's 3-year-old son Trigg died after a drowning accident at the family's home in Chandler, Arizona. In the months that followed, Kiser went quiet on social media as she sued to conceal records and officials investigated the incident.

She slowly returned to her platforms, which include more than five million followers on TikTok and two million followers on Instagram, beginning in the fall.

Emilie Kiser says son's death was 'a preventable accident'

Kiser said in a TikTok video that she "will continue to talk about" her son's death even though it is "extremely hard" to do so.

"Our son's death was very preventable. It was an accident, but it was a preventable accident. I will always take full accountability for that because as a parent, it is your job to protect your child," she said.

She added that she felt strongly about posting the video both because the anniversary of Trigg's death is nearing and because the summer months, and therefore swimming season, are coming.

"A lot of kids are going to be swimming and unfortunately more drownings are going to happen," she said before adding, "Please make sure that you watch your children around water."

Water safety tips for children

Water Safety USA, a consortium of governmental and other organizations focused on water safety, says there are three components of water competency, which means being able to anticipate, avoid, and survive common drowning situations. They include:

• Water safety awareness.
  • Know your limitations.
  • Never swim alone. Swim with lifeguards or water watchers present.
  • Swim in an area with safe entry and exit points.
  • Do not dive into shallow or unclear water; enter feet first.
  • Wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill.
  • Do not swim while using alcohol or drugs.
  • Know how to recognize, avoid, and handle ocean rip currents.
  • Know how to call for help.
• Basic swimming skills.
  • Be able to enter the water and resurface.
  • Controlling breathing.
  • Floating.
  • Turning.
  • Moving to safety in the water and exiting.
• Helping others.
  • Always provide close and constant attention to anyone you are supervising in or near the water.
  • Know how to recognize a drowning person.
  • Learn safe ways to assist others who are in trouble.
  • Learn CPR and first aid.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.