An 18-month-old boy who had been declared dead following a suspected drowning in Arizona was later discovered to be alive in a hospital morgue nearly six hours afterward, according to a report.
The toddler was found in his family’s swimming pool in Gilbert on Super Bowl Sunday and taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, ABC 15 reported. Despite police officers raising concerns that the child appeared to show signs of life, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Hospital staff reportedly dismissed those concerns, telling officers that the boy’s movements were only reactions to resuscitation efforts. One officer attempted to notify the doctor who had declared the child dead, but the physician rejected the officer’s concerns, saying he lacked the medical expertise to make that assessment.
“[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,” a police report stated. The officer also reported hearing a nurse say the toddler had a pulse.
Even after officers said they continued to observe possible signs of life during the following hour, the doctor maintained that the child was deceased.
“The release of air was audible and visible,” one officer wrote in the report, adding: “It also began to sound like [the child] was gasping for air.”
The boy was later moved to the morgue, where the officer said he again noticed what appeared to be breathing.
“I again observed what appeared to be a gasp or air release, which was now almost an hour later,” the report said.
Audio recordings captured an officer telling the family to say their goodbyes to the boy.
Several hours later, the medical examiner discovered the toddler was in fact still alive.
The baby will still require lifelong care after an MRI revealed he had brain damage, according to ABC 15.
“This is a heartbreaking situation,” Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said in a statement.
“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.”
