Additional Coverage:
Toddler Found Breathing Hours After Being Declared Dead in Phoenix Suburb
A harrowing incident unfolded in a Phoenix suburb this past February when an 18-month-old boy, initially declared dead after a near-drowning in a backyard pool, was discovered breathing hours later in a hospital’s morgue-like “cold room,” according to recently released police documents.
Emergency responders were called to the Gilbert home around 5:30 p.m. on February 8 following reports of a toddler drowning. Despite life-saving efforts at the scene and transport to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, the child was pronounced dead roughly an hour later. Bodycam footage captures a doctor formally calling the time of death at 6:20 p.m., marking a moment of silence.
However, multiple signs of life were reportedly observed by two Gilbert police officers present at the hospital, even as medical staff prepared the child for the morgue. Dr.
Aryan Toosi, who treated the boy, was recorded telling an officer, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”
Approximately five hours after the declaration, the boy was found breathing in the cold room and was immediately transferred to a different hospital. He ultimately survived and has since been discharged.
Investigators are recommending negligence charges against the child’s parents, citing evidence of open doors providing unsupervised pool access and a strong marijuana odor detected at the residence. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the case.
The distress of the moment was palpable in 911 calls, with relatives frantically reporting the unconscious toddler and bystanders heard screaming in the background. Mercy Gilbert Medical Center has acknowledged the incident as “heartbreaking” and is conducting a thorough review of its care procedures.
Attorney Scott Holden, representing Dr. Toosi, indicated that there is “much more to this case, both factually and medically,” than has been publicly shared.
The toddler, identified as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, is now undergoing extensive therapy as part of his recovery. A GoFundMe campaign established to support the family’s medical expenses has raised around $20,000, describing Vincent as a “miracle fighter” whose recovery is being paced carefully by his medical team.
Similar Cases of Premature Death Declarations
Though rare, cases of individuals being mistakenly declared dead and later found alive have occurred. In 2024, a 74-year-old woman in Nebraska was discovered breathing at a funeral home two hours after being pronounced dead at a nursing facility. In 2023, a similar case occurred in Iowa involving a 66-year-old woman.
A notable 2020 case in Southfield, Michigan, involved 20-year-old Timesha Beauchamp, who was declared dead by phone after paramedics responded to her home. She was found gasping for air at a funeral home later that day but sadly passed away two months afterward. The city settled a negligence lawsuit with the family for $3.25 million.
Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist in San Francisco, explains that such errors are more common in elderly patients than young children. She emphasized that death determination requires no heartbeat, no breathing, and no brain activity-criteria that sometimes must be carefully verified, especially when breathing is shallow or intermittent.
“Once someone is dead, they don’t come back to life,” Melinek said, noting that these incidents often point to either inexperience or procedural shortcomings within medical settings.
This incident underscores the critical importance of rigorous protocols and training in death determinations to prevent such extraordinary and heartbreaking events.