GILBERT, Arizona: Police records say an 18-month-old Arizona boy survived after a doctor declared him dead following a pool accident.
First responders went to a Gilbert home at about 5:30 pm local time on February 8 after relatives reported a drowning.
They gave the toddler life-saving treatment and took him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre. A doctor declared the boy dead at 6:20 pm, according to police bodycam video obtained by KPNX-TV in Phoenix.
Police records indicate that two Gilbert officers observed possible signs of life on more than one occasion. Hospital staff later moved the child to a room used as the hospital morgue.
About five hours later, a Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office team found the boy breathing in the cold room.
Police said the child was flown to another hospital. He survived and has since been discharged from the hospital. A GoFundMe page identified him as Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino.
The page said he would need extensive therapy. Gilbert police said they recommended negligence charges against the parents.
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Investigators said they found a strong smell of marijuana at the home. They also cited open doors that could have allowed unsupervised access to the pool.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre said it reviewed the care provided and made changes to strengthen care. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it was reviewing the case.
