Emilie Kiser is reflecting on the death of 3-year-old son Trigg — and how it could have potentially been prevented.
“I take full accountability as Trigg’s mother, and I know I should have done more to protect him,” Kiser wrote via Instagram on Thursday, August 28. “One of the hardest lessons I carry is that a permanent pool fence could have saved his life, and it’s something I will never overlook again. I hope amidst this pain, Trigg’s story will help prevent other children and families from suffering the same loss.”
Kiser shared that “no family should ever have to endure” the “pain, heartache and void” they have experienced, calling son Trigg “our baby and best friend.” Kiser noted that the family is appreciative to their loved ones and online community for their support in the months following Trigg’s death.
“The only way through grief is to keep going minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day and every moment since that day I’ve done my best to keep picking myself up,” she wrote. “When I started on social media in 2021 as a new mom, my goal was to connect with other moms and find a community. I have found that and so much more through all of you. I found a community, a hobby I love and a job I am so grateful for.”
She continued, “I have always been my authentic self on social media and tried my best to share my everyday life honestly, while also being mindful of what I didn’t choose to share. I now have seen through this tragedy how relationships online lack boundaries, especially in protecting children’s privacy. Moving forward, I will be establishing more boundaries with what I share online.”
Three months before Kiser’s statement, the Chandler, Arizona, Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly that Trigg died on May 18 after being pulled unconscious from the family’s backyard pool days before.
The next month, police records indicated that Emilie’s husband, Brady Kiser, was watching Trigg and newborn son Teddy alone as the 3-year-old played in the backyard — something he shared was “not uncommon.” Brady claimed that the pool typically had a protective cover. (While investigators submitted a criminal charge recommendation for Brady, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office later shared that there is “no likelihood of conviction” against him.)
A redacted police report in August confirmed that the pool covers were not in place at the time, with investigators observing a “large netting and a fabric top rolls up onto PVC carriers” near the water.
“It was later learned that the covers were in place most of the time, but were recently removed so the family could enjoy the pool. They were never replaced,” police noted.
Ahead of Trigg’s death, Emilie shared with her followers that she and Brady were considering pool safety ideas.
“I don’t know if this is a controversial topic. I don’t think it is, but I wanted to get your guys’ opinions on what your favorite pool safety things are,” Emilie said in a since-deleted TikTok shared in May 2024. “No matter what, we are doing a pool fence because our backyard is pretty big so I feel like it is just smartest to have a fence right when you enter out the back doors. Can’t even get into the whole backyard.”
Emilie explained that she still wanted to have “something around the pool,” adding, “So what I’m thinking is a pool net. We found a company that has had literally zero fatalities in, I think, all the 50 years that they’ve been in business,” Emilie explained. “I have watched so many TikToks about this company. Thinking that that is what we are going to do on our pool and on our hot tub.”
For more vital, life-saving information on pool safety, see Bode Miller’s tips and visit Coverstar’s website.
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