A toddler discovered in a backyard pool in a Phoenix suburb in February was declared dead at a hospital, only to be found breathing hours later in the facility's morgue, according to police records. First responders were dispatched to a home in Gilbert, Arizona, on Feb. 8 following a report of a drowning. After performing life-saving measures, the child was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.
About five hours after the initial pronouncement, hospital staff notified police that the child was breathing. He was then flown to a different hospital. The toddler ultimately survived and has since been released.
Gilbert police are recommending negligence charges against the parents, citing a strong odor of marijuana at the home and open doors that could have provided unsupervised access to the pool. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed it is reviewing the case.
During the initial 911 calls, relatives frantically reported the child had been pulled from the pool and was unconscious.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center stated it conducted a thorough review of the care provided in what it called a "heartbreaking situation." The hospital declined to release further details. When medical examiner's office personnel arrived at the hospital's designated cold room, they found the boy breathing.
An attorney for Dr. Aryan Toosi, one of the medical professionals involved, stated that there is more to the case, both factually and medically, than has been reported.
Separately, a GoFundMe page created in February to assist the boy's family with medical bills indicated the toddler would require extensive therapy. The page referred to the child as a "miracle fighter."