Police records detail how the 18-month-old was found breathing nearly six hours after being pronounced dead, as prosecutors review possible charges against his parents
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- Police records reviewed by the Associated Press say the 18-month-old was found breathing nearly six hours after he was pronounced dead following a near-drowning
- The records allege a nurse told the doctor, “I have a pulse,” before the child was moved to the hospital’s morgue, where medical examiner personnel later found him alive
- Prosecutors are reviewing possible charges against the child’s parents, while the doctor’s attorney says there is “much more” to the case than has been publicly reported
An Arizona toddler who was declared dead after nearly drowning in a backyard pool was taken to a hospital morgue — only to be found alive hours later.
Newly released police records reviewed by the Associated Press detail how the 18-month-old boy continued showing signs of life after he was pronounced dead following the Feb. 8 incident. The records describe the child’s parents, a nurse and police officers raising concerns that he was still alive before he was eventually discovered breathing nearly six hours later.
Gilbert police and fire crews responded to a home around 5:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a drowning, according to the Associated Press. First responders administered life-saving measures before the child was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where hospital staff continued efforts to revive him.
The boy was pronounced dead about an hour later. But according to the police report, his parents and two Gilbert police officers believed he was still gasping for air afterward. According to the police report, hospital staff told them the movements were agonal breathing, an involuntary reflex that can occur near death.
According to the police report, a nurse told the doctor, “I have a pulse,” as he was preparing to notify the child’s parents of his death. When a police officer relayed the concern, the doctor allegedly replied, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”
According to the police report, the doctor then instructed hospital staff to stop life-saving measures before the child was moved to the hospital’s “cold room,” where bodies are temporarily kept before being transferred to the medical examiner.
About five hours after the child was pronounced dead, personnel from the Maricopa County medical examiner’s office arrived to retrieve his body and discovered he was breathing, according to the Associated Press and the police report. He was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
The toddler ultimately survived and has since been released from the hospital, Gilbert police said.
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Mercy Gilbert Medical Center called the incident “a heartbreaking situation” in a statement.
“We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care that was provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care,” the statement said. “Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.”
An attorney representing the doctor told NBC News there is “much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far,” but declined further comment, citing patient confidentiality and the pending review involving the child’s parents.
Police have recommended charges against the child’s parents, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case, according to the AP.
The police report alleges the parents admitted they had smoked marijuana earlier that day and investigators concluded they failed to adequately supervise their son during a Super Bowl gathering. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has not announced whether charges will be filed.
A GoFundMe created for the family identified the child as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino and said follow-up MRIs showed no brain damage, though he is expected to require ongoing medical monitoring and therapy.
“Doctors are taking things slowly, allowing Vincent’s body to guide the pace of his recovery. They are amazed by his strength and have lovingly begun calling him ‘the miracle baby,’” the fundraiser reads.
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