A young child who had been declared dead at a hospital morgue was miraculously found alive hours later following a near-drowning incident in Gilbert, Arizona. The 18-month-old boy, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was discovered unconscious in his family’s swimming pool during a Super Bowl gathering on February 8. Emergency responders quickly transported him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced him deceased within an hour of his arrival.
Surprisingly, the child was later discovered to still be breathing while in the hospital morgue. He was promptly airlifted to another medical facility for urgent care and has since been released. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is now looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the handling of the boy’s medical condition.
According to reports, there were concerns raised about the initial declaration of death, with authorities questioning the attending physician, Dr. Aryan Toosi’s decision. Body camera footage captured the moment when the child was pronounced dead, despite alleged signs of life observed by officers and the child’s parents. Subsequent events, including the child gasping for air after being declared dead, have raised further questions and led to investigations.
The Gilbert Police Department has recommended child abuse charges against the boy’s parents, suspecting that their possible impaired state of mind, linked to marijuana use, may have contributed to the near-drowning incident. Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre has conducted an internal review of the case but declined to provide additional comments. Dr. Toosi’s lawyer has defended his client, emphasizing that there is more to the case than what has been reported.
The family has shared their ordeal on GoFundMe, confirming that despite the challenges, Vincent is receiving medical care and support. He is currently breathing with the help of a ventilator and is expected to undergo continued monitoring and therapy to aid in his recovery.
