A toddler who was pronounced dead after being pulled unresponsive from a pool at an Arizona residence was discovered to be breathing hours later in a hospital morgue, according to a police report. The incident occurred on Feb. 8 in Gilbert, a Phoenix suburb, when the 18-month-old child was found face-down in an in-ground pool during a Super Bowl gathering.
The child was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. Over five hours later, a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office arrived at the hospital to retrieve the child from the morgue's cold room and found the toddler was breathing, police reported.
According to the police report, multiple individuals, including the child's parents and two officers at the hospital, questioned whether the child was breathing after the time of death was declared. The parents reportedly stated they believed their son was still breathing, describing "gasping for air." Officers also reported hearing an "audible gasp" and observing the child "gasping for air." Hospital staff informed the officers that this was "agonal breathing," a process of air and gases leaving the body, the report states.
Shortly before the doctor declared the time of death, an officer reported hearing a nurse say, "I have a pulse." The officer's attempt to inform the doctor was met with a response that the doctor had a medical degree and should be allowed to proceed. The doctor later apologized for his behavior.
After hospital staff realized the child was alive, he was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital for treatment. The child made "significant strides" following the drowning incident but was expected to require physical therapy.
The police report, which is 157 pages long, also recommends that the toddler's parents be charged with child abuse due to alleged negligence. The report alleges that the parents had been smoking marijuana in the garage on the day of the incident and failed to properly secure the garage doors, allowing the child access to the pool. It also states the child was not properly supervised, with multiple adults at the home collectively believing another adult was watching him.
The case has been submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review, and no charging decision has been made. Attorneys for the doctor involved declined to comment, citing respect for patient privacy. A hospital spokesperson described the situation as "heartbreaking" and stated that a thorough review of the care provided was immediately conducted to identify necessary changes.