Arizona toddler declared dead after near-drowning was alive for hours in ‘cold room’, records say

A toddler in Arizona, initially pronounced dead following a near-drowning incident, was discovered alive hours later in a hospital's morgue, according to recently released police records. The 18-month-old was found in a backyard pool on February 8 and taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.

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Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.

First responders performed life-saving measures, and the child was declared dead about an hour later. However, approximately five hours after the initial pronouncement, police were alerted that the child was breathing. The toddler was then flown to another hospital and has since been released.

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a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care

Police records suggest that two Gilbert police officers observed multiple signs of life before the child was taken to the hospital's "cold room." Dr. Aryan Toosi reportedly told an officer, "Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason." The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case, and police are recommending negligence charges against the parents. Investigators noted a strong marijuana odor at the home and open doors that could have allowed unsupervised pool access.

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a heartbreaking situation

The hospital stated it conducted a thorough review of the care provided. A GoFundMe page established for the child's medical bills mentioned the toddler would require extensive therapy. "Thank you for your prayers, your kindness, and your support for baby Vincent – our miracle fighter," the page reads.

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other than to assure you that there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far