Toddler declared dead in drowning incident found alive in hospital morgue: Police

A toddler in Gilbert, Arizona, was declared dead after being pulled unresponsive from an in-ground pool during a Super Bowl gathering on Feb. 8, but later was found breathing in a hospital morgue, according to a police report released recently. The 18-month-old child was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. More than five hours later, a transporter with the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office retrieved him from the hospital’s “cold room” and found he was breathing. The report says the child’s medical records were not included, leaving unclear what occurred after the declaration of death. It also describes protocol for determining time of death, including a “cardiopulmonary death exam,” and notes officers questioned whether the child was still breathing. The report identifies the doctor as A. Toosi, who later apologized, and details an exchange where staff allegedly heard “agonal breathing” and even a nurse statement about a pulse.