Expand / Collapse search
☰

Super Bowl champion Shaquil Barrett urges water safety after losing daughter in accidental drowning

By
Published  May 6, 2025 6:02pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Shaq Barrett delivers water safety message

Shaq Barrett delivers water safety message

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

The Brief

    • Super Bowl Champion Shaquil Barrett spoke about the importance of water safety to parents and kids at the Glazer Children's Museum.
    • This comes two years after his 2-year-old daughter died in an accidental drowning at the family's pool.
    • The Sunshine State was ranked the highest in the U.S. for unintentional drowning death rate among children ages 1 to 4 years from 2019 to 2021 combined.

TAMPA, Fla. - Two years after his daughter tragically died in a drowning accident, Super Bowl champion Shaquil Barrett spoke about the importance of water safety to parents and kids on Tuesday. 

Barrett, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan favorite, joined local swim school, Watermelon Swim, to read a children’s book about water safety tips during Tuesday’s storytime at the Glazer Children’s Museum. 

RELATED: Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter drowns in family swimming pool

By the numbers:

According to the Florida Department of Health, the Sunshine State was ranked the highest in the U.S. for unintentional drowning death rate among children ages 1 to 4 years from 2019 to 2021 combined. 

The backstory:

Barrett also shared his personal story on Tuesday.  

"Like I hate getting into it, because it's never easy to talk about," Barrett told FOX 13. "But, I do try to talk about it a little more often."

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

In April 2023, Barrett’s daughter, Arrayah, was 2-years-old.

"She unfortunately had access to the back door, then the gate was unlocked, and then we didn't have a pool gate at the time," Barrett told parents at the museum. 

The toddler accidentally drowned in the family’s pool and later died.

"I just want to speak from the heart and speaking from the heart is just making it more real for people. And then saying like, where I went wrong and where my family went wrong: It might be stuff that they’re doing right now," Barrett said. 

PREVIOUS: Governor DeSantis signs new Florida law providing free swimming lesson vouchers

Why you should care:

Barrett encouraged parents to consider swim lessons for their little ones. 

"No matter all the safety precautions that you have, accidents still can happen. So make sure you teach your child how to survive in a pool for whatever amount of time they need to survive until somebody could come and help," Barrett said. 

Last summer, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill, subsidizing swim lessons for eligible families. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

TampaTampa Bay Buccaneers