Carlos Correa Nearly Drowned in Lake Minnetonka Before Being Traded Last Summer

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

From start to finish, Carlos Correa’s time in Minnesota was a strange odyssey — one that, it turns out, nearly ended in tragedy.

In a recent interview with MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Correa recounted a harrowing moment on Lake Minnetonka last July, when he found himself “fighting for survival.” During a family outing, he drifted far from both the boat and the shore, exhausted and struggling to stay afloat while carrying his 3-year-old son, Kylo.

Correa wasn’t wearing a life jacket. Spotting a nearby buoy, he made for it, believing it was his only chance. Kylo, safely strapped into a life vest, sat on his shoulders, asking if they were going to be okay.

Correa reached the buoy but slipped. He went under, grabbed the chain, and injured his left hand. With his son still on his shoulders, he alternated hands just to stay above water, shouting toward the boat for help.

It was, by his account, his last gasp.

His father-in-law eventually spotted him and swam out with a life jacket. Correa and his son made it out safely. As McTaggart notes, the experience sparked a religious reawakening, leading Correa to organize regular Bible study sessions during the offseason.

I get that a lot of Twins fans are down on Correa. But, it’s difficult to hear a story like that and not feel a jolt of empathy. A situation like that — legitimately fearing for your life, trying to suppress panic while your child looks to you for reassurance — can leave lingering echoes of trauma. I know numerous people who've witnessed drowning incidents or had close calls themselves, and it haunts them.

The exact date of the incident isn’t specified, but Correa was traded back to Houston two weeks later, suggesting it occurred around the All-Star break. He was in the lineup for the first game of the second half, showing no outward signs of what he’d just endured. You never really know what someone is dealing with.

It's quite the bookend to Correa’s turbulent tenure in Minnesota. He arrived as a jilted free agent and experienced dramatic highs and lows over three and a half seasons. Injuries, including plantar fasciitis in both feet, disrupted his availability and hampered his performance. In 2024, that issue cut short an All-Star-caliber campaign and coincided with a team-wide collapse that carried through to 2025.

I'm also not going to pretend everything was out of his control. Last season, Correa was healthy but repeatedly came up short in big moments, a stark contrast to his reputation. At times, he carried himself more like a hired mercenary than a foundational piece, and that perception only hardened on his way out. As McTaggart writes, “He never wanted to leave Houston in the first place.”

Still, whatever frustration lingers is outweighed by something else.

It’s disappointing that what once looked like a defining chapter for the Twins unraveled so completely. It’s disappointing that the franchise’s boldest free-agent move will be remembered more for what didn’t happen than what did.

And it’s scary to realize that, near the end of it all, things came far closer to tragedy than anyone realized.

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[PDX Twin]

If he was a bad swimmer, why wasn't he wearing a life jacket himself?

[strumdatjag]

Maybe C4 wasn’t in as good shape as one would have expected. 

[Old Twins Hat]

I am glad he did not drown, nor his son.  

But, in truth, I do not miss him as a player on the Twins.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

That’s really scary. You just never can be too careful out there.   Glad he and his son are ok!

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

That’s really scary. You just never can be too careful out there.   Glad he and his son are ok!

Lake Minnetonka gets very deep in spots over 100 ft in depth. It’s no joke. I have more empathy with Correa because I almost drowned myself on the lake. I’m forever thankful to my friend David De La Pena who recognized I was struggling and jumped in to save me. 

[CRF]

Never go out on ANY kind, or size, of water, without a PFD/life jacket. It's just stupid and a gamble you don't want to take. 

[Twins GFP]

I get that it was scary for Correa, but no life jackets for him or his son? Seriously?

Not only is it the law, it is common sense. To anyone giving the "thumbs down" to people admonishing him for that must not be from Minnesota or have been near a lake ever in their life.

[Squirrel]

20 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

Kylo, safely strapped into a life vest

 

1 hour ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I get that it was scary for Correa, but no life jackets for him or his son? Seriously?

Not only is it the law, it is common sense. To anyone giving the "thumbs down" to people admonishing him for that must not be from Minnesota or have been near a lake ever in their life.

You read that wrong. 

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I get that it was scary for Correa, but no life jackets for him or his son? Seriously?

Not only is it the law, it is common sense. To anyone giving the "thumbs down" to people admonishing him for that must not be from Minnesota or have been near a lake ever in their life.

The only law in Minnesota is children under 10 are required to wear one. His son was wearing one. 

[Fatbat]

The only beef twins fans should ever have with C4 is his lack of healthy productive playing time. Other than that, he is a stand up guy!! 

[Brock O. Lee]

Is anyone as irritated as I am about the direction the McTaggart article takes? 

The Twins traded him back to the Astros only two weeks after the incident on the lake. He never wanted to leave Houston in the first place.

It's all set up like playing for the Minnesota Twins is the real disaster, and nearly drowning is only an apt symbol for the ordeal. 

[laloesch]

Maybe the title of the article should be that Correa was very foolish and nearly drowned.  Your very far from shore on a boat and apparently not a good swimmer and jump into the water with your 10 year old son, your child, your most important responsibility to protect and be a good parent to and you act foolishly like that. Sorry no empathy from me. 

[Twins GFP]

18 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

The only law in Minnesota is children under 10 are required to wear one. His son was wearing one. 

Here is the law:
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/lifejackets.html

While I missed the quote that said his son was wearing the life jacket, I am very curious as to how Correa was without a life jacket or preserver, in the water, with his son, nowhere near a boat. That part of the story was conspicuously left out.

That being said, without further information, it was still completely stupid to be in that situation. 

[Twins GFP]

19 hours ago, Squirrel said:

 

You read that wrong. 

Yep, missed it. Still not clear on how they ended up in that situation to begin with.

[Vanimal46]

6 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I am very curious as to how Correa was without a life jacket or preserver, in the water, with his son, nowhere near a boat. That part of the story was conspicuously left out.

It's almost like you are the one who's never been near a lake in your life. You've never anchored down 20-30 feet from the shore and jump in to cool down without a life jacket on? I highly doubt Correa was hundreds of feet away from the shore or the boat. He could still yell towards the boat he needed help and his father in law acted quickly to get to them. 

[strumdatjag]

On 3/21/2026 at 7:24 PM, strumdatjag said:

Maybe C4 wasn’t in as good shape as one would have expected. 

I know some don’t like my answer above. HOWEVER - Read C4’s account.  I’m glad he “survived” but his own account of the events does not sound like he has the midseason,  health one would expect from a professional athlete.  Or he is simply a bad swimmer.  Or maybe, this story was exaggerated a little to provide a more inspiring effect related to his faith. 
Moreover, I am very familiar with Lake Minnetonka and there are factual reasons to question his account.   

[Squirrel]

11 hours ago, strumdatjag said:

I know some don’t like my answer above. HOWEVER - Read C4’s account.  I’m glad he “survived” but his own account of the events does not sound like he has the midseason,  health one would expect from a professional athlete.  Or he is simply a bad swimmer.  Or maybe, this story was exaggerated a little to provide a more inspiring effect related to his faith. 
Moreover, I am very familiar with Lake Minnetonka and there are factual reasons to question his account.   

Since you didn’t like the thumbs down, I’ll tell you why I gave you one, and others. Your comment lacked any concern or empathy and went straight to blame the person. It’s likely because he was a good athlete he didn’t think he needed a life jacket to take a dip in the water. He learned a valuable lesson and I’m grateful tragedy was avoided. Many times it isn’t.

[bean5302]

Correa nearly drown because he was trying to swim with his son (in a lifejacket) on his shoulders and while he was in the middle of drowning, he still had his kid, safely in a life jacket on his shoulders? Yeahhhh, no. The kid obviously had no life jacket on, and Correa was lying to avoid potential legal issues or reputation damage, etc.

While I'm extremely glad nobody was seriously injured as a result of what happened, it's only natural to expect a lot of criticism in these scenarios. Anybody who has spent significant time on the water has witnessed somebody in over their head, and too often you don't realize how bad off somebody was until minutes later when everything sinks in. Reckless activity which results in scares brings back a lot of pain and bad memories out there in addition to negative attention to people's favorite places.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Correa nearly drown because he was trying to swim with his son (in a lifejacket) on his shoulders and while he was in the middle of drowning, he still had his kid, safely in a life jacket on his shoulders? Yeahhhh, no. The kid obviously had no life jacket on, and Correa was lying to avoid potential legal issues or reputation damage, etc.

While I'm extremely glad nobody was seriously injured as a result of what happened, it's only natural to expect a lot of criticism in these scenarios. Anybody who has spent significant time on the water has witnessed somebody in over their head, and too often you don't realize how bad off somebody was until minutes later when everything sinks in. Reckless activity which results in scares brings back a lot of pain and bad memories out there in addition to negative attention to people's favorite places.

As someone who has tipped a kayak with a child who had a life jacket on, I can tell you there is a zero percent chance you haul ass to shore and leave your kid behind. 
 

Even if he’s floating safely, you’re going under before you ditch him.

[nicksaviking]

Not to derail this thread, but this is kind of shocking. I'm not a great swimmer but as a lucky life-long summer lake cabin kid, this might be a spot for a PSA.

While it's not exactly instinctual, if you have to carry someone to shore while swimming, put them on your chest and do your best to backstroke/kick to shore. Much easier to stay above water than trying to breast stroke. 

Glad everything is OK and understand why this was private for so long.

[bean5302]

8 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

As someone who has tipped a kayak with a child who had a life jacket on, I can tell you there is a zero percent chance you haul ass to shore and leave your kid behind. 
 

Even if he’s floating safely, you’re going under before you ditch him.

I said absolutely nothing about ditching the kid. Guess that's my queue to take off from the site for a while. I know the next step around here...