Arizona toddler found alive in hospital morgue after declared dead from drowning
Police records say two officers saw signs of life before the toddler was declared dead, and a medical examiner transporter found him breathing five hours later.
- An 18-month-old toddler was mistakenly declared dead following a backyard pool accident in Gilbert, Ariz., only to be found breathing hours later inside the hospital morgue, according to police records released Monday.
- First responders performed life-saving measures before Dr. Aryan Toosi pronounced the boy dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, though police officers reported observing potential signs of life multiple times before the child was moved to the 'cold room.'
- Medical examiner staff discovered the boy breathing five hours later, prompting an emergency airlift to Phoenix Children's Hospital, while Gilbert police recommended criminal negligence charges against the parents, citing open doors and a strong odor of marijuana.
- Mercy Gilbert Medical Center called the incident a 'heartbreaking situation' and confirmed an internal review, while the Maricopa County Attorney's Office stated it is currently reviewing the case and declined further comment.
- According to forensic pathologist Dr. Judy Melinek, mistaken death declarations are rare but can stem from shallow, intermittent breathing or policy failures, with a similar 2020 case in Michigan resulting in a $3.25 million settlement.
162 Articles
162 Articles
An 18-month-old boy was found alive hours after being declared dead by a doctor in a hospital in Arizona state in the United States. The case occurred on February 8, after the child suffered a near drowning in the family home pool in Gilbert during a meeting to attend the NFL Super Bowl. The episode, considered extraordinary by the authorities, is being investigated by the Maricopa County Public Prosecutor's Office and was released this week.
An 18-month-old baby was found alive in the morgue of a hospital in the state of Arizona hours after a doctor declared him dead. The events occurred on February 8, when the emergency services came to a house in a suburb of Phoenix at around 5.30 p.m. after receiving a call from two relatives of the minor warning that the child had fallen into a pool, located in the backyard, and was unconscious from drowning. The health-care workers displaced to…
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