American toddler declared dead, but found alive in the morgue 5 hours later

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In Arizona, a shocking medical error is causing quite a stir. A toddler who was pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center was found to still be alive in the morgue five hours later. The boy was rushed to the hospital after an incident at a swimming pool, where a doctor officially pronounced him dead shortly afterward.

The 18-month-old boy was found unresponsive in a swimming pool in the U.S. city of Gilbert and could not be saved. Or so the medical staff thought.

According to police reports and witness accounts, however, there were immediate doubts about that determination. Officers and even family members present reportedly noticed signs of life, but according to the reports, those concerns were not taken seriously enough. After all, the doctor was adamant. “Just do your job and let me do mine. I didn’t study medicine for nothing,” said the doctor, Aryan Toosi, according to the report. “If there are no objections, I would like to determine the time of death. Time of death: 6:20 p.m. A moment of silence,” Toosi said. This is evident from bodycam footage from a police officer that was obtained by a local NBC News affiliate. The toddler eventually ended up in the hospital’s refrigerated room, where a coroner’s office employee suddenly found him still breathing a full five hours later.

The discovery sent shockwaves through the family, the hospital, and local authorities. The boy was then immediately transported by helicopter to another hospital for further care. According to recent reports, he survived the incident but suffered severe brain damage and requires long-term medical care. He has, however, already been discharged from the hospital.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center announced that the hospital has launched an internal investigation and is closely examining the case. In a statement, the hospital called the incident “heartbreaking” and said it is working with the family to determine exactly what went wrong.

Meanwhile, the incident is also raising broader questions about medical procedures, communication in emergency departments, and how uncertainty regarding vital signs is handled. Following further investigation, the parents are also under scrutiny. According to the police report, detectives stated that there was a strong smell of marijuana in the home, leading them to suspect that the child had unsupervised access to the pool.

©WS Chae via Unsplash - illustrative image