Arizona Toddler Found Alive in Hospital Morgue After Being Declared Dead
A US toddler who was found unresponsive in an Arizona pool and declared dead was later discovered to be alive in the hospital's "cold room," according to a newly released police report.
The family of the 18-month-old child urgently called police after discovering him face down in a pool at a home in the Phoenix-area suburb of Gilbert on 8 February.
First responders arrived and performed life-saving measures before transporting the child to the hospital, where he was declared dead approximately one hour later.
According to the police report, officers informed a physician at the hospital, Dr Aryan Toosi, that they had observed signs of life. The doctor responded,
"please do your thing and let me do my thing,"
the report states. Dr Toosi also said,
"I went to medical school for a reason,"
as recorded in the report.
The family had gathered to watch the NFL Super Bowl game when police were called to the scene for a reported drowning incident.
Gilbert police arrived at the residence around 17:30 MST (00:30 GMT), and the child was subsequently taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 18:20.
Bodycam footage from police officers, obtained by a local NBC News affiliate, captured Dr Toosi stating,
"If there's no objections, I'd like to call time of death,"
and then saying,
"Time of death 18:20. Moment of silence,"
Five hours later, a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office arrived at the hospital and found that the child was still breathing, according to police records.
The toddler was then flown to another hospital where he recovered and has since been discharged.
Medical records for the child were not included in the police report, leaving uncertainty regarding the precise details of the incident.
The doctor's attorney, Scott Holden, provided a statement to the BBC via email, saying,
"Out of courtesy to the family and patient confidentiality, we respectfully decline to make a statement at this time."
Police are recommending negligence charges against the parents.
The police report also notes that investigators detected a strong smell of marijuana at the home, which led them to believe the child may have had unsupervised access to the pool.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has not yet announced whether it will pursue charges.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center issued a statement indicating that the hospital conducted,
"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 situation as,
"a heartbreaking situation,"
and declined to release any additional details.
