An Arizona toddler was reportedly discovered alive in a hospital morgue nearly five hours after a physician incorrectly pronounced him dead, according to a startling new report.
The 18-month-old child, whose name has not been released, was found in a family swimming pool in Gilbert at about 5:30 p.m. on February 8 before being taken urgently to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
Shortly after he arrived at the hospital, the boy was declared dead. But roughly five and a half hours later, staff entering the morgue realized the child was still alive.
Initial accounts described the extraordinary episode as a possible miracle, but a police report obtained by ABC15 alleges the situation stemmed from a serious mistake by a doctor.
Heavily blurred police body-camera video reviewed by the outlet also captured portions of the emergency response, showing officers and paramedics arriving at the residence before the child was rushed to the hospital that evening.
After they reached the medical center, one police officer wrote in the report that he heard a nurse say, “I have a pulse,” prompting him to notify the doctor in charge of the case.
According to the officer’s account, the unnamed male physician appeared to dismiss the warning when it was brought to his attention.
‘[The doctor] arrogantly told me 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 officer documented, per the report.
An 18-month-old boy was mistakenly pronounced dead by an Arizona doctor after he was found in a pool in Gilbert on February 8, a new report stated. Heavily blurred bodycam footage captured moments from the emergency
The little boy was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where just about an hour later, he was pronounced dead. Then, five and a half hours later, medical staff found him alive inside the morgue, police said
A male police officer informed the doctor that he heard a nurse state the child had a pulse, but the physician seemingly brushed off his concern, the report detailed
The audio, which was heard in some of the footage, captured what appeared to be the moment the officer and doctor interacted just before the child was declared dead by the medical professional.
‘I went to medical school for a reason,’ the physician stated.
The cop then appeared to respond, but the doctor cut him off, stating: ‘Ok, let me just clarify. Thank you.’
Shortly after their conversation, the doctor officially declared the toddler dead, records showed.
But officers continued to detail the signs of life they saw in the child in the report.
‘The release of the air was audible and visible,’ a cop wrote.
They later added: ‘It also began to sound like [redacted] was gasping for air,’ the report stated.
When medical staff went to move the little boy’s body to the morgue, a female officer recalled that she ‘observed what appeared to be another audible gasp’ coming from the child, the outlet stated.
Police bodycam video captured the moment paramedic rushed the boy into the hospital on a gurney
Emergency crews rushed to a home in Gilbert at around 5.30pm on February 8, as millions tuned into the Super Bowl, after a child was found in a pool
Then, when she entered the morgue, the cop said: ‘I again observed what appeared to be a gasp or air release, which was now almost an hour later.’
But a nurse who was there said the alleged breathing sounds could have been a response to efforts to save the child, the report said.
Audio related to that moment was redacted from the released report.
The child was declared dead ‘in error’ by the Mercy Gilbert doctor, the report said.
The end of the footage showed the moment an officer told the child’s family the heartbreaking news that it was time to say goodbye.
But when the child was found alive and breathing hours on, he was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.
When the child was found alive and breathing hours on, he was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment. He suffered severe brain damage and will need medical care for the rest of his life
He suffered severe brain damage and will now need lifelong care, according to MRI results, ABC15 reported.
A spokesperson with Mercy Gilbert Medical Center told the Daily Mail: ‘This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.
‘Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.’
