An 18-month-old toddler in Arizona who was declared dead after being found in a swimming pool was discovered breathing several hours later in a hospital morgue cold room, according to newly released police records. The child ultimately survived and has since been discharged from medical care.
Incident Timeline and Discovery
Emergency services were called to a home in Gilbert, Arizona, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on February 8 following reports of a drowning. Paramedics performed life-saving measures on the child before transporting him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead roughly an hour later. However, two local Gilbert police officers noted possible signs of life on several distinct occasions after the pronouncement, but the child was still taken to the hospital's designated "cold room" after receiving initial treatment by medical staff.
Around five hours after the initial declaration of death, police were informed that the child was breathing. He was then transferred by air ambulance to another hospital for further care.
Medical and Legal Responses
Dr. Aryan Toosi, a physician involved in the case, told an officer at one point, according to the report: "Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason." Scott Holden, a solicitor representing Dr. Toosi, declined to issue a full statement but assured that "there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far."
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center released an official public statement saying it had carried out "a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care." The hospital described the incident as "a heartbreaking situation" and declined to release further details.
When staff from the local medical examiner's office arrived at the cold room, they discovered the boy breathing and immediately arranged for his transfer to another facility, police said.
Parental Negligence Investigation
Gilbert Police are recommending charges of negligence against the parents. Investigators reported a strong smell of cannabis at the property and open doors that may have allowed the unsupervised toddler access to the pool. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is currently reviewing the case and declined to comment further on Monday.
In 911 calls, two relatives desperately reported that the child had been pulled from the pool, with audible screaming in the background. One caller said the toddler was unconscious.
Community Support and Similar Cases
A GoFundMe page set up in February to help the family with medical costs noted that the toddler would require extensive therapy. The page reads: "Thank you for your prayers, your kindness, and your support for baby Vincent — our miracle fighter."
There have been other cases of people discovered alive after being declared dead. In Southfield, Michigan, in the United States, Timesha Beauchamp, a 20-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, was declared dead by a doctor over the phone in 2020. Paramedics had responded to a 911 call at her family home. Later that day, staff at a funeral home opened the body bag and found her gasping for air. She was rushed to hospital but never fully recovered and died two months later. The city settled a negligence lawsuit brought by the family for £2.5 million.
