Arizona Toddler Declared Dead Found Alive in Hospital Morgue
An 18-month-old boy who was pulled from a backyard pool in Gilbert, Arizona, on Super Bowl Sunday was pronounced dead by a doctor at a local hospital only to be discovered breathing hours later in the hospital morgue, according to recently released police records. The toddler’s parents now face potential felony child abuse charges as prosecutors review the case.
The Incident
On February 8, 2026, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face-down in the family’s backyard pool during a Super Bowl party at approximately 5:30 p.m. First responders performed life-saving measures and rushed him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where Dr. Aryan Toosi pronounced him dead roughly an hour later, according to AP News.
What followed was an extraordinary sequence of events. Two Gilbert police officers documented seeing possible signs of life multiple times after the declaration—including audible gasps and visible air release—and a nurse reportedly said, “I have a pulse.” Despite these observations, the child was moved to the hospital’s “cold room,” which serves as the morgue, at approximately 7:23 p.m.
Discovered Alive
Around 11:52 p.m., nearly five and a half hours after the initial declaration, a team from the local medical examiner’s office arrived at the cold room and found the toddler breathing. Vincent was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where he survived despite sustaining brain damage that will require lifelong care.
According to ABC15 Phoenix, which first reported the story based on police records, one officer wrote that the baby was pronounced dead “in error.” Body camera footage captured a tense exchange between an officer and Dr. Toosi, who told the officer: “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”
Doctor’s Conduct Under Scrutiny
Dr. Aryan Toosi, an osteopathic physician licensed in Arizona with no disciplinary actions on his record, has not been recommended for criminal charges by police. His attorney, Scott Holden, told the AP that “there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.”
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said in a statement that it conducted “a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care,” calling the situation “heartbreaking.”
Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist not involved in the case, told AP News that mistaken death declarations are rare but do occur. “It’s either someone inexperienced got involved or a policy failure,” she said. “Because people, once they’re dead, they don’t come back to life—that doesn’t happen.”
Parents May Face Charges
The Gilbert Police Department has recommended felony child abuse charges against Vincent’s parents, submitting the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review in early June. According to police reports, investigators noted a strong odor of marijuana at the home, and both parents admitted to smoking marijuana during the Super Bowl party. Open doors allegedly allowed unsupervised access to the pool.
As reported by Law & Crime, the police report alleges that Vincent’s fall into the pool went unnoticed “due to the potential of both parents’ state of mind being impaired by marijuana and/or other mind-altering substances.”
A GoFundMe page created for the family describes Vincent as a “miracle baby” and says he will need extensive therapy, ongoing medical monitoring, and support for his healing organs. The fundraiser notes that while an initial MRI showed two small areas of potential brain damage, later testing reportedly found no brain damage.
Broader Implications
The case has drawn national and international attention, raising profound questions about medical protocols for confirming death, particularly in pediatric cases. Similar cases of mistaken death declarations are rare but documented—including the 2020 case of Timesha Beauchamp in Michigan, a 20-year-old with cerebral palsy who was declared dead over the phone and found gasping at a funeral home, later dying after a $3.25 million settlement.
As the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office continues its review, the case highlights the convergence of alleged parental negligence, a disputed medical declaration, and a child who defied the odds—leaving multiple layers of accountability still unresolved.
What’s Next
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has not yet announced whether charges will be filed against the parents. Questions also remain about what “meaningful changes” Mercy Gilbert Medical Center has implemented, whether Dr. Toosi remains employed at the facility, and what unreported medical facts his attorney has referenced. Vincent continues his recovery, described by his family as a “miracle fighter.”