Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son Trigg died from an anoxic brain injury due to drowning, a medical examiner’s report confirmed.
The Maricopa County medical examiner’s office released its findings on Tuesday, more than a year after the toddler’s fatal accident in Arizona. The boy’s death was officially listed as accidental, according to the report.
Trigg fell into the family’s fenceless pool while Kiser’s husband, Brady, was home alone with their two children in May 2025. Brady told police he lost sight of Trigg after the boy went outside following dinner. He said he was distracted by the couple’s five-week-old baby inside the house.
Investigators determined the boy was alone for almost 10 minutes and in the water for roughly seven minutes before he was pulled out. He died on May 18, six days after the drowning incident.
Kiser has since revealed that she has forgiven her husband for the tragedy. The couple has faced intense public scrutiny over the circumstances of their son’s death, particularly the lack of a pool fence at their Arizona home.
In the viral moment that sparked national attention, a three-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool while his father was distracted by an infant sibling inside. The case became a flashpoint for discussions about pool safety and parental vigilance, with many online commentators questioning how a child could be left unsupervised near open water for nearly ten minutes. The absence of a pool fence at the family residence drew particular criticism from safety advocates and social media observers.
The medical examiner’s confirmation of anoxic brain injury due to drowning provides the official cause of death in a case that has been followed closely by Kiser’s substantial social media following. Anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen, which in drowning cases results from water inhalation preventing normal breathing.
Kiser has continued to share her grief journey with followers since the tragedy, including her decision to forgive her husband. The family has also faced renewed attention in recent months as Kiser announced a new pregnancy, describing the expected child as “a bright light” following their loss.