Emilie Kiser has spoken out after an old video was recirculated online showing her 16-month-old son, Teddy, on a boat without a life jacket.
The footage came from a TikTok uploaded in June by influencer Madi Curtis, who documented a family boat outing in Mallorca involving both her family and Emilie’s.
Although the post has since been removed, viewers had captured a moment in which Teddy was sitting next to his father, Brady Kiser, without any visible flotation device.
Parts of the same clip also showed Madi’s daughter without a life jacket, while her son could be seen wearing one elsewhere in the video.
Criticism surfaced quickly, with many people questioning why stricter safety measures were not followed, especially in light of what the Kiser family has already endured.
Emilie and Brady lost their older son, Trigg, in May 2025 after he drowned in the swimming pool at their Arizona home.
Since then, Emilie has frequently used her platform to speak about water safety and the importance of prevention.
Experts and boating safety officials recommend that children wear properly fitted life jackets whenever they are on a boat, and U.S. Coast Guard guidance says children under 13 must wear an approved life jacket when a vessel is underway, unless they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin.
Authorities said Trigg fell into the pool on May 12, 2025, while Brady was at home caring for him and Teddy. He was taken to hospital and died six days later, on May 18.
After reviewing the case, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office decided not to pursue charges against Brady, saying there was not a reasonable likelihood of getting a conviction.
In the months that followed, Emilie addressed the loss repeatedly online, calling her son’s death ‘preventable’ and encouraging parents to become better informed about pool safety.
Once the boat video began circulating again, Emilie responded on her Instagram Stories on July 28.
In her statement, she admitted 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 also said the family was ‘painfully aware’ that in a matter of seconds, your entire life can change,’ and added that they ‘should have done better’.
Emilie went on to address the emotional public response, saying she understood why people felt upset and concerned.
She wrote that much of that reaction is rooted in the feeling that Trigg ‘should still be there’, something she said she shared ‘more than can expressed’.
According to Emilie, that grief is something she carries with her constantly, every day.
She ended her message by saying she and Brady would continue trying to do better as parents, while recognizing that mistakes can still happen.
She wrote that they would ‘never stop learning’ and said they would keep giving their children everything they have.
The renewed discussion arrives while Emilie is expecting her third child with Brady, after announcing the pregnancy on July 3, 2026.
Even while grieving Trigg, she has continued speaking publicly about pool and water safety, previously telling followers that discussing the loss is still painful but remains important to her.