Arizona Toddler Declared Dead After Pool Accident Found Alive in Hospital Morgue

A toddler who was pulled from a backyard pool in a Phoenix suburb in February was declared dead by hospital staff before being found breathing hours later in a room that serves as the hospital morgue, according to recently released police records.

The 18-month-old boy, identified by a GoFundMe page as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after first responders performed life-saving measures at the scene. A doctor pronounced him dead at 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 8. But about five hours later, a team from the local medical examiner's office arrived in the so-called cold room and found the boy breathing. He was flown to another hospital, survived, and has since been released.

Gilbert police are now recommending negligence charges against the parents. Investigators reported a strong odor of marijuana at the home and open doors that could have allowed unsupervised access to the pool. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case and declined further comment.

What Happened That Night

First responders were dispatched to the home at about 5:30 p.m. after a reported drowning. Bodycam video from a police officer shows Dr. Aryan Toosi declaring the child dead. At one point, when an officer questioned the declaration, Toosi responded, 'Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.'

Two Gilbert police officers had seen possible signs of life multiple times before the child was taken to the cold room, according to the documents. The hospital later said it conducted a thorough review of all aspects of care and made changes to strengthen its procedures, calling it 'a heartbreaking situation.'

Family and Community Response

A GoFundMe page created to help with medical bills called Vincent 'our miracle fighter' and said he would need extensive therapy. The fundraiser has raised about $20,000. 'Doctors are taking things slowly, allowing Vincent's body to guide the pace of his recovery,' the page states.

Scott Holden, an attorney for Dr. Toosi, said there is 'much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.' No one answered at the home when an Associated Press photographer knocked on Monday.

Similar Cases Raise Questions

This is not an isolated incident. In 2024, a 74-year-old woman pronounced dead at a Nebraska nursing home was found breathing at a funeral home two hours later. In 2023, a 66-year-old woman was found alive and gasping for air after being declared dead at an Iowa nursing home. In Michigan, a 20-year-old with cerebral palsy was declared dead by a doctor over the phone in 2020, only to be found gasping at a funeral home. She died two months later, and the city settled a negligence lawsuit for $3.25 million.

Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist in San Francisco not involved in this case, said such cases are rare but happen more often with elderly patients than children. 'The criteria of death require no heartbeat, no breathing, and no brain activity,' she said. 'It's either someone inexperienced got involved or a policy failure, because people, once they're dead, they don't come back to life — that doesn't happen.'

Questions for Iowa Families

This case raises serious questions about medical protocols and accountability in hospitals. For Iowa families, it underscores the importance of pool safety and parental supervision, especially with summer months approaching. It also highlights the need for rigorous standards in emergency medicine to prevent such tragic errors.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office continues its review. The story was first reported by KNXV-TV in Phoenix.