Police records say the 18-month-old boy showed signs of life before and after he was declared dead.
GILBERT, Ariz. — An 18-month-old boy was found alive in a hospital morgue hours after a doctor pronounced him dead following a near-drowning in a backyard pool, according to newly released Gilbert police records.
The case has drawn scrutiny of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where police records say nurses and officers reported possible signs of life before the child was moved to the hospital’s cold room. The boy survived, but records cited in local reports say later testing showed permanent brain damage from the near-drowning.
The incident began Feb. 8, when the toddler was pulled from a family swimming pool during a Super Bowl gathering in Gilbert. A 911 call described relatives performing CPR before first responders arrived. Police and fire crews responded about 5:35 p.m., and the child was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. At 6:20 p.m., a doctor pronounced him dead. Police records later said officers and nurses had raised concerns that the boy still had a pulse or appeared to be gasping.
One officer wrote that a nurse said, “I have a pulse,” while the child was still at the hospital. The officer also wrote that air movement from the child was “audible and visible” and began to sound like gasping. According to the police report, the officer tried to bring the concern to the doctor. The officer wrote that the doctor dismissed the warning and said he was the physician and had gone to medical school for a reason.
The child was later taken to the hospital’s cold room, which police records described as the morgue. About five and a half hours after the death pronouncement, a medical examiner discovered the boy was breathing. Police were notified around 11:30 p.m. that the child showed signs of life. He was revived and later flown to another hospital for further care. His name has not been released publicly.
Reports identified the doctor in the police records as Aryan Toosi, an osteopathic physician licensed in Arizona. Public records cited by local outlets showed no listed disciplinary actions on his license. The doctor has not been charged with a crime. Police records described the pronouncement as being made in error, but officials have not announced any criminal case tied to the hospital decision.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center called the case heartbreaking in a statement. The hospital said it conducted a thorough review of the care provided and made changes meant to strengthen patient care. The hospital also said it could not discuss details because of patient privacy and said it continues to work with the family and its representative.
The case remained under review after police released reports and body-camera video months after the near-drowning. Much of the video was blurred or muted, but local investigators reported that one exchange between an officer and the doctor was captured. The records left several questions unanswered, including what hospital protocols were followed before the death pronouncement and who approved moving the child to the morgue.
As of Thursday, July 2, the toddler had survived and had been released from the hospital, according to the most recent police update reported by local media. No criminal charges had been filed, and the next steps were expected to center on continued review of hospital procedures and the family’s representation.