An 18-month-old Arizona boy who was declared dead after a near-drowning was discovered alive in a hospital morgue, prompting multiple investigations into the medical response and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The child, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. on February 8 after being taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center following a backyard pool incident in Gilbert, Arizona.
According to recently released police records, staff with the medical examiner’s office arrived at the hospital at 11:52 p.m. and found the toddler breathing in the hospital’s “cold room,” where bodies are stored before transfer.
The child was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Gilbert police said he ultimately survived and has since been released from the hospital.
Investigation Focuses on Hospital Response
Police records detail concerns raised by officers who believed the child showed signs of life after he had been declared dead.
According to the report, first responders were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a drowning. Family members had pulled the toddler from the backyard pool and attempted CPR before emergency crews arrived.
After the child was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, emergency department staff continued life-saving efforts. The attending physician, identified in police records as Dr. Aryan Toosi, declared the child dead shortly after 6:20 p.m.
Police reports state that officers and the child’s parents observed what appeared to be gasping after the declaration. About an hour later, a detective reported hearing another audible gasp while hospital staff prepared to move the child to the morgue.
According to the report, a nurse told investigators the movements were consistent with agonal breathing, which can occur after death.
The child was placed in the hospital’s cold room around 7:23 p.m. More than four hours later, personnel from the medical examiner’s office found him breathing.
When questioned by an officer about the decision to declare the child dead, the police report says Toosi responded, per CBS News, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”
Through his attorney, Scott Holden, Toosi declined to comment on specific allegations, saying there is “much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.”
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said it conducted an internal review of the incident, which it described as “a heartbreaking situation.” The hospital said it has made changes to strengthen patient care but has not released the findings of its investigation.
Parents May Face Child Abuse Charges
Gilbert police have recommended that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office file negligence charges against the toddler’s parents. According to investigators, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana inside the home and found open doors that may have allowed the toddler to access the backyard pool without supervision.
The police report states that both parents admitted to smoking marijuana the morning of the incident. Investigators wrote that they may not have realized the child had wandered outside while they watched the Super Bowl.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed it is reviewing the case but has not announced whether charges will be filed.
Child Faces Ongoing Recovery
A GoFundMe campaign established by the family says Vincent avoided significant brain damage but continues to require extensive medical treatment and therapy. The page describes him as a “miracle fighter” and says he remains under close medical supervision.
Rare but Not Unprecedented Cases
Medical experts say cases in which someone is mistakenly declared dead are uncommon but have occurred.
Recent examples include a Nebraska nursing home resident who was found breathing at a funeral home in 2024 and an Iowa nursing home resident who was discovered alive after being pronounced dead in 2023.
In 2020, a Michigan woman with cerebral palsy was found alive at a funeral home after being declared dead. She later died two months afterward, and her family reached a $3.25 million negligence settlement with the city of Southfield.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Judy Melinek, who is not involved in the Arizona case, said determining death requires confirming the absence of heartbeat, breathing, and brain activity, noting that shallow or intermittent breathing can complicate those assessments.
Provided by Dallas Express
