Influencer Emilie Kiser speaks out after toddler son seen on boat without life jacket
Topics: Emilie Kiser, Parenting, TikTok
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: @emiliekiser/Instagram
Topics: Emilie Kiser, Parenting, TikTok
Emile Kiser has responded after footage resurfaced online showing her 16-month-old son, Teddy, sitting on a boat without a life jacket.
The clip originally appeared in a video posted by fellow influencer Madi Curtis, who shared footage from a day spent out on the water with her family and Emilie's in Mallorca, posted in June.
The TikTok post, which has since been deleted, showed Teddy briefly seated beside his father, Brady Kiser, without swim safety gear.
Madi's daughter also appeared without a life jacket in parts of the clip, though her son was seen wearing one at another point of the video.
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The footage quickly attracted criticism on the time, with viewers questioning why extra precautions weren't taken given the family's history.
Emilie and Brady's older son, Trigg, died in tragic circumstances in May 2025 after drowning in the backyard pool of their Arizona home.
Emiie has since become an outspoken advocate for safety around water.
Trigg fell into the family's pool on May 12, 2025, while Brady was watching him and Teddy at home. He was rushed to hospital but died six days later, on May 18.
Following an investigation the Maricopa County Attorney's Office ultimately declined to charge Brady, determining there wasn't a reasonable likelihood of securing a conviction.
Since the tragedy, Emilie has spoken openly on social media about the loss, previously describing her son's death as 'preventable' while urging other parents to educate themselves on pool safety.
After the clip spread across social media, Emilie addressed the backlash directly in a post to her Instagram stories on July 28.
She acknowledged the family's misstep, writing that Teddy 'should have been in his life jacket for the entirety of that boat ride, not even for the few moments he was out of it.'
She went on to say that the family was 'painfully aware' that in a matter of seconds, your entire life can chance,' adding that they 'should have done better'.
Emilie also addressed the wave of public reaction to the footage, acknowledging both the concern and anger directed at her family.
She wrote that much of the criticism stemming from the belief that Trigg 'should still be there', a sentiment she said shared 'more than can expressed'.
She described carrying that reality 'every moment of every single day'.
Closing out her statement, Emilie said she and Brady would keep working to do better, while admitting mistakes are sometimes unavoidable.
She wrote that they would 'never stop learning' from those moments and would continue raising their children with everything they have.
The renewed attention comes as Emilie is expecting her third child with Brady.
She has continued to balance public advocacy for pool and water safety with ongoing grief over Trigg's death, telling followers in the past that talking about the loss remains difficult but important to her.
UNILAD has contacted a representative for Emilie Kiser for comment.