Arizona Toddler Found Alive in Hospital Morgue After Declared Dead

The physician is not facing criminal charges.

Published: 7/6/2026, 5:46:00 PM EDT

Arizona Toddler Found Alive in Hospital Morgue After Declared Dead — Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where an 18-month-old toddler discovered in a backyard pool and taken to the hospital in February, was declared dead before being found breathing hours later in a room that serves as the hospital morgue, according to recently released police records, in Gilbert, Ariz., on July 6, 2026. (Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo)

Newly released police records are shedding light on the case of an Arizona toddler who was found alive in a hospital morgue hours after a doctor declared him dead following a near-drowning earlier this year.

According to a Gilbert Police Department report reviewed by ABC15 and AZFamily, the boy was pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after being pulled from a backyard swimming pool during a Super Bowl gathering.

Nearly six hours after being declared dead, staff from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner arrived and discovered the child was still breathing. He was then airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital for treatment.

A 911 recording released by Gilbert police and aired by AZFamily captured a family member reporting that relatives were performing CPR on the toddler before first responders arrived.

An officer wrote that a nurse said, "I have a pulse,” according to ABC15, citing the police report. The report says the attending physician, identified as Dr. A. Toosi, responded that "he was the doctor, he has the medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing." The report also says the physician directed hospital staff to stop life-saving efforts.

The report states that officers, the child's parents, and some hospital staff continued to observe what appeared to be gasps after the death declaration. Nurses told officers the movements were consistent with agonal breathing, and one officer reported hearing another gasp about an hour after the child had been pronounced dead, according to ABC15.

The child has since been identified by his family as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino through a GoFundMe campaign created to help pay for medical expenses. It states that while the toddler’s parents were sent home in unimaginable grief, God had other plans.

The fundraiser said Vincent continues to recover after weeks of intensive treatment and ongoing therapy. According to the family, follow-up MRI scans showed no brain damage but did reveal a small area of bruising that doctors expect his developing brain to compensate for over time.

In a statement, Dignity Health, the parent organization of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, called the incident "a heartbreaking situation,” according to AZFamily. The health system said it 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 physician is not facing criminal charges. Both parents told investigators they had smoked marijuana before the incident. Gilbert police submitted the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (MCAO) for possible child abuse charges against the boy's parents.