Inset: Vincent Fiordilino (GoFundMe). Background: The Arizona hospital where Vincent Fiordilino was declared dead after drowning in a pool while his parents allegedly partied (KNXV/YouTube).
Authorities in Arizona have recommended felony child abuse charges against two parents after their 18-month-old son drowned in a swimming pool while they were allegedly partying and not closely supervising him. In a stunning turn, officials say the toddler was pronounced dead at a hospital but was later discovered alive in the morgue hours afterward.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case to determine whether charges will be formally filed against the parents of Vincent Fiordilino, according to AZ Family. Vincent was found floating facedown in a backyard pool during a Super Bowl party in February.
According to a police report, the boy’s mother and father, both from Gilbert, acknowledged smoking marijuana and failing to keep a close eye on their son during the gathering. Investigators allege no one saw Vincent fall into the pool because of “the potential of both parents’ state of mind being impaired by marijuana and/or other mind-altering substances.”
Emergency crews transported Vincent to a local hospital, where a doctor pronounced him dead that evening. Police said the child was taken to the hospital morgue at about 7:23 p.m. and was later found alive and breathing by a medical examiner’s team around 11:52 p.m.
A GoFundMe created for the family calls Vincent a “miracle baby” and says his parents endured “every parent’s worst nightmare.” The fundraiser’s organizer said the toddler had been underwater for five minutes before he was discovered.
“Vincent was declared deceased,” the GoFundMe page states. “His devastated parents were sent home in unimaginable grief. But God had other plans. A little after 11:30 p.m., the family received a call no one expected: the medical examiner had detected a faint heartbeat. Vincent was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, fighting for his life.”
The police report also details confusion at the hospital after the doctor who had pronounced Vincent dead went to inform the parents. A nurse reportedly said, “I have a pulse,” according to AZ Family. When an officer told the doctor, the physician “arrogantly” 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 says.
Officers who were at the hospital allegedly saw the doctor tell hospital staff to stop performing lifesaving measures on Vincent due to the child’s condition. His parents and the officers both expressed concerns that the child appeared to still be breathing, and reported seeing and hearing him taking gasps of air. Hospital staff told them it was “agonal breathing.”
Police have said the doctor will not face criminal charges.
After being transported to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the family’s GoFundMe says Vincent’s organs began shutting down.
“His kidneys, lungs, and liver were all struggling,” the fundraiser explains. “An MRI was ordered later that day to determine brain activity and potential damage. The results came back showing only two tiny ‘pencil‑dot’ areas of potential brain damage, and doctors expressed grave concern.”
Vincent “continued to fight” and additional tests later showed no brain damage, according to the GoFundMe. “He will need extensive therapy, ongoing medical monitoring, and support for his healing organs,” the fundraiser says.
