The 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett drowned in a swimming pool at the family’s home on Sunday, police said.
Officers, responding to a call that a child had fallen into a pool, were sent to Barrett’s home in the Beach Park neighborhood in south Tampa shortly before 9:30 a.m. The football player’s youngest child, Arrayah, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
“The investigation is ongoing,” the police report said. “It is not believed to be suspicious in nature at this time, but a purely accidental and tragic incident.”
Barrett, 30, and his wife, Jordanna, have three other children.
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“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time,” the Buccaneers said a statement.
“While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this,” the team added, “we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”
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Drowning is a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the CDC. Florida is ranked 5th in the country for unintentional drowning deaths.
Monday also marked the start of National Water Safety Month.
"The number one thing is supervision. We have to watch our children in and around the water," said Jeff Gershe, the owner of Just Swim in Cooper City, where he teaches swim lessons to kids as young as six months old.
"We want them to understand and respect the water and not have fear of it," he said. "The more comfortable they are in the water, the better swimmers they’re going to be."
He advised parents should also have other layers of protection, like out-of-reach door locks, door alarms and gates around the pool. Swim lessons also provide tools to even the youngest kids on what to do in an emergency.
Barrett, who's recovering from a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the second half of last season, is entering his fifth year with Tampa Bay after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.
Barrett led the NFL with 19½ sacks in 2019. The following season he helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl.
