A 18-month-old toddler, initially pronounced dead following a drowning incident at an Arizona residence, was found to be breathing hours later in a hospital morgue, according to a police report. The unsettling sequence of events began on February 8, during a Super Bowl gathering in Gilbert, a Phoenix suburb, when the child was discovered unresponsive and face-down in a swimming pool. The child was transported to Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was officially pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.

Hours later, when a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office arrived at the hospital's cold room to collect the child, it was discovered the toddler was alive and breathing. This discovery occurred over five hours after the initial pronouncement of death.

Multiple individuals, including the child's parents and two police officers present at the hospital, had expressed doubts about the child's condition after the time of death was declared. The parents reportedly observed what they believed to be gasping for air, suggesting the child was still alive. Similarly, the officers reported hearing an audible gasp and seeing the child gasping.

Hospital staff explained the observed gasping as "agonal breathing," a physiological response attributed to air and gases leaving the body, rather than spontaneous respiration. However, one officer reported hearing a nurse state "I have a pulse" shortly before the doctor, identified as A. Toosi, formally declared the time of death.

When the officer alerted Dr. Toosi to this observation, the doctor reportedly responded assertively, emphasizing his medical authority and medical school education. The report indicates the doctor instructed staff to stop life-saving measures and, after a final pulse check, declared the time of death, with no objections raised by those present.

Following the realization that the child was alive, he was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital for immediate medical care. The police report did not include the child's medical records, leaving the exact circumstances and the reasons for the initial misdiagnosis unclear.

Medical professionals typically follow strict protocols when declaring death, including a cardiopulmonary death exam that documents the cessation of vital signs, spontaneous breathing, heartbeat, and pulse. While extremely rare, spontaneous circulation has been documented to return after CPR has been stopped, with a review identifying a small number of such cases over several decades.

This incident has raised significant questions regarding the hospital's procedures for declaring death and the communication between medical staff and observing officers. The doctor involved has since apologized for his conduct during the exchange with the officers, according to the report.