Remi’s Aquatic Angels was founded in July 2023 by Remi’s cousins, Brooklynn Buchan and Zaida Buchan, after the accidental drowning of their baby cousin, Remi Skye.
Our mission is to educate parents, families, and caregivers about water safety for children. We provide resources that connect families with water safety classes and share important safety guidelines for pools and other bodies of water.
Through education and awareness, we hope to prevent tragedies like the one our family experienced and help keep children safe in and around water.
Remi’s Aquatic Angels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations help support our mission to promote water safety and prevent drowning.
Kyle and Courtney Emerson, high school sweethearts from New Hampshire, relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia to begin their life together and embrace a fresh start. They were also eager to spend time with family who had recently returned from serving in the military overseas. In 2013, they married and welcomed their first daughter, Mia Renee, fulfilling a dream they had long shared.
For eight years, Mia was their only child and the center of their world. When Kyle and Courtney decided to grow their family, the journey came with challenges, but ultimately led to the joyful arrival of their second daughter, Remi Skye, on May 22, 2021. With the birth of Remi, their family felt complete. Their home was filled with love, laughter, and a deep sense of gratitude.
The Emerson family was known for their devotion to their daughters. They were attentive, protective, and intentional in creating a safe and nurturing environment. Over the years, they built strong friendships and a close-knit community in Williamsburg and Toano, Virginia, relationships rooted in trust and care.
On September 26, 2022, their lives were forever changed. Sixteen-month-old Remi Skye, a vibrant and healthy toddler, was in the care of a trusted family friend when a tragic accident occurred. Due to insufficient pool safety measures, Remi was able to leave the home unnoticed. She passed through an open sliding glass door, crossed the deck, went up a few steps, through an unsecured gate, and into the pool, where she was later found unresponsive.
Emergency services were called immediately. Despite prolonged and intensive resuscitation efforts lasting more than twenty minutes, Remi’s condition was critical. She was transported to Sentara Medical Center in Williamsburg and then airlifted to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University for advanced care.
In the days that followed, Kyle and Courtney remained by her side as doctors worked tirelessly to monitor and treat her. With unimaginable heartbreak, they were eventually told that Remi had sustained severe brain damage and would not recover. On October 30, 2022, Remi Skye passed away in her mother’s arms, surrounded by her father, her sister, and the love of her family.
In honor of Remi’s life and legacy, Remi’s Aquatic Angels was established. The organization is dedicated to preventing similar tragedies by raising awareness and promoting water safety. Its mission is to educate communities, advocate for stronger pool safety measures, support swimming education, and partner with organizations that share a commitment to protecting children.
Through this work, Remi’s Aquatic Angels strives to create meaningful change and help ensure that no other family experiences such a devastating loss.
We invite you to join us in supporting this mission and honoring Remi’s legacy by helping protect the lives of others.