Trigg Kiser, the 3-year-old son of TikTok influencer Emilie Kiser, tragically passed away after being pulled from a backyard pool days earlier, authorities in Arizona confirmed.
On May 18, police reported that Trigg died after being hospitalized on May 12. According to Sonu Wasu, the public information officer for the Chandler Police Department, officers had responded to a call regarding a drowning at a residence on Ashley Drive in Chandler, Arizona, around 7 p.m. local time. The child had been pulled unconscious from the pool and was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was later transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with the family and their loved ones during this unimaginable tragedy,” Wasu stated.
Emilie Kiser, who has a massive following on TikTok with over three million followers and one million followers on Instagram, is known for her lifestyle content and vlogs. Despite her online presence, the Kiser family has yet to release a public statement regarding the incident.
Boy received CPR, investigation ongoing
At the scene, police officers and firefighters quickly administered CPR to the boy. He was then transported to Chandler Regional Hospital before being flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Chandler is located about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix.
As of May 18, Wasu confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Trigg Kiser’s death is still open. Authorities have not released any further details at this time.
Who is Emilie Kiser?
Emilie Kiser, 26, is a popular social media influencer originally from Phoenix, Arizona. In 2022, she revealed on TikTok that she attended Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. It was during her time in college that she met her husband, Brady Kiser. The couple married in 2020 and shares two sons: Trigg Kiser, the child who tragically passed away, and Theodore Kiser, who was born in March.
In November 2024, the family relocated to Chandler, a move Emilie Kiser shared with her followers on TikTok.
Other celebrities affected by child drownings: Bode Miller, Granger Smith
Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sadly, several prominent figures have experienced the heartbreak of losing a child to drowning.
Emeline “Emmy” Miller, the 19-month-old daughter of Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife Morgan, died in June 2018 after drowning in a neighbor’s pool. Morgan Miller has since been a passionate advocate for water safety and drowning prevention. In a post on Instagram in honor of Drowning Prevention Month in 2024, she urged parents to make water safety a priority: “This is your yearly reminder to get your babies water safe, so we can responsibly enjoy pool season.”
In a similar tragedy, country singer Granger Smith’s 3-year-old son, River, drowned in June 2019 after bypassing the family’s pool gate. River’s mother, Amber Smith, has since used her grief to raise awareness about the importance of teaching children self-rescue skills in the water, sharing that her son’s death opened her eyes to the necessity of such safety measures.
The heartbreaking loss of these children highlights the ongoing need for vigilance and preventive measures to avoid the devastating consequences of drowning.
