Death of TikTok star's child prompts reminders on pool safety ahead of summer
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The death of a TikTok star's 3-year-old son in Arizona has many fans of the family mourning, consuming the app's users 'For You' pages — and also prompting a separate conversation regarding water safety.
In Chandler, Arizona on Monday, May 12, police said they responded to a drowning call on Ashley Drive. The 3-year-old, identified as Trigg Kiser, had been hospitalized since then, before he was pronounced dead on Sunday afternoon, Chandler Police confirmed to News 8 Monday.
Trigg Kiser is the son of TikTok stars Emilie Kiser, with 3.3 million followers, and her husband, Brady Kiser. Emilie posts videos to her social media multiple times a day showcasing her daily life as a mom of two.
'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the child's family and loved ones during this unimaginable time,' the Chandler Police Department said in a statement.
As this investigation into Trigg's death continues, Chandler Police said they will not be releasing additional details until the investigation is closed.
Here at home, with many families starting to pick the date of when to open their pools for the summer, water safety experts are sharing advice.
In New York State, swimming pools 'capable of containing water more than 24 inches deep' are required to have a 'barrier' or 'fence' at least four feet high surrounding the pool, to 'protect against potential drowning.'
May is deemed National Water Safety Awareness month, and the Goldfish Swim School in Pittsford says childhood drowning is truly a 'public health epidemic' — with drowning remaining the number one cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4.
Goldfish Swim School provides year-round swim lessons to children from 4 months old to 12 years old. With two-thirds of families planning to spend time near the water this summer, reports show only one-third of parents feel confident in their children's swimming abilities — and share these tips for parents:
Swap Out Floaties & Puddle Jumpers for U.S. Coastguard-Approved Lifejackets
Seek out Bright Colored Swimwear
Enroll in high quality, regular swim lessons beginning at age one or earlier
Designate a Water Guardian
Ensure that there are layers of barriers to prevent kids from accessing pools or other bodies of water during non-swim times
Families can book a free trial swim lesson to check out Goldfish Swim School. For more information, click here.
Stay with News 8 WROC for more tips from water safety experts and tune into News 8 at 11 for a full report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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