MLB star Carlos Correa has opened up on the harrowing moment he and his three-year-old son nearly drowned in a Minnesota lake last summer.
Correa, who helped the Houston Astros win the World Series in 2017, was on a boat trip with his family in Lake Minnetonka when the terrifying ordeal played out.
The 31-year-old first told the story at a retirement home in Houston back in December after leaving the Minnesota Twins to rejoin the Astros, before sharing it again with MLB.com following a Spring Training workout on Tuesday.
While swimming in the lake without a life jacket, and with son Kylo clinging onto his neck, Correa suddenly found himself fighting for survival after being caught halfway between the shore and the boat.
His hamstrings and quads began cramping up and his stamina became significantly weaker, before he spotted a buoy floating in the water a few feet away.
As he tried to make it over to the buoy, Kylo asked: ‘Pappi, are we going to be OK?’
MLB star Carlos Correa has opened up on the harrowing moment he and his three-year-old son nearly drowned in a Minnesota lake
Correa and son Kylo (pictured) were swimming in the lake when the terrifying ordeal played out
The 31-year-old World Series winner has two young boys with wife Daniella Rodriguez
Correa reassured him that they would before saying a prayer.
‘”Lord, save me,”‘ he said. ‘”I promise you that if you save me from this one, I will serve you and I will serve you forever.”‘
The shortstop managed to reach the buoy but slipped off and damaged his left hand while trying to grab the chain. He then explained how he had to continually switch hands on the buoy to ensure they would stay above water.
Correa used his last gasp to yell toward the boat for help, before his father-in-law heard his cries and came to their rescue, flinging over a life jacket that he caught with his pinkie finger.
‘I was like, “From that moment on, I’m going to serve you,”‘ he said about his prayer to God. ‘I am going to keep my promise. And from that moment, I’ve been fully devoted.’
Correa, who has two young sons with wife Daniella Rodriguez, has always been a religious man, but the near-death experience in Lake Minnetonka inspired him to organize a Bible study at his house in Houston over the offseason after being traded to the Astros in July 2025. It started with eight people and ended with 60 eating and congregating at his house.
He also started discussing the Bible and his faith with teammates, which led to some passionate clubhouse discussions.
The Puerto Rican had struggled with injuries before his move back to Houston, where he began his MLB career in 2015. In his first season back with the Astros he posted a .785 OPS in 51 games.
