An 18-month-old boy who was declared dead after being pulled from a swimming pool in Arizona was later found alive hours later in a hospital morgue, according to a newly released police report. The incident occurred on February 8 in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, after the child’s family reportedly……
An 18-month-old boy who was declared dead after being pulled from a swimming pool in Arizona was later found alive hours later in a hospital morgue, according to a newly released police report.
The incident occurred on February 8 in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, after the child’s family reportedly discovered him face down in a backyard pool while relatives had gathered to watch the NFL Super Bowl.
According to the BBC, emergency responders rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call and immediately began life-saving measures before transporting the toddler to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
The child was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. by a physician identified in the police report as Dr. Aryan Toosi.
Body camera footage cited in the report showed the doctor saying: “If there’s no objections, I’d like to call time of death.”
He then declared: “Time of death 18:20. Moment of silence.”
However, police officers at the hospital reportedly questioned the decision after observing what they believed were signs of life.
According to investigators, officers alerted Dr. Toosi, who allegedly responded: “Please do your thing and let me do my thing.”
The report also quoted him as saying: “I went to medical school for a reason.”
The case took a dramatic turn about five hours later when personnel from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived to collect the child’s body and discovered he was still breathing.
The toddler was immediately airlifted to another medical facility, where he received further treatment. He later recovered and has since been discharged from hospital.
The police report did not include the child’s medical records, leaving unanswered questions about how he was mistakenly declared dead.
Dr. Toosi’s attorney, Scott Holden, declined to comment on the incident.
“Out of courtesy to the family and patient confidentiality, we respectfully decline to make a statement at this time,” Holden said.
Meanwhile, investigators have recommended negligence charges against the child’s parents.
According to the report, officers detected a strong smell of marijuana inside the family home and believe the toddler may have gained unsupervised access to the swimming pool.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has yet to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
In a statement, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said it had launched an internal review into the incident.
The hospital said it conducted “a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”
