Baby declared dead found alive in morgue refrigerator

An 18-month-old child in Gilbert, Arizona, survived a near-fatal incident after being found unresponsive in a swimming pool and subsequently declared dead by a doctor. The baby was discovered alive hours later in the morgue's refrigeration unit.

Emergency responders provided CPR at the scene before transporting the child to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. Approximately an hour later, the child was pronounced dead by Dr. Arianne Tsuchiya. Police bodycam footage captured the doctor stating, "If there are no objections, I will declare the time of death." The family was reportedly watching the Super Bowl at the time of the incident.

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You do your job, and I'll do mine. I went to medical school for a reason.

However, a police report later revealed that responding officers believed the child showed signs of life. Dr. Tsuchiya reportedly dismissed their concerns, telling officers, "You do your job, and I'll do mine. I went to medical school for a reason." About five hours after the initial pronouncement, an employee from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office found the child breathing while preparing to take custody of the body.

The child was airlifted to another hospital, received treatment, and has since been released. The exact circumstances leading to the initial death pronouncement remain unclear as medical records were not included in the police report. Dr. Tsuchiya's attorney declined to comment, citing family and patient privacy. Police recommended negligence charges against the parents, noting a strong marijuana odor in the home and the possibility of the child accessing the pool unsupervised. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether to file charges.

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If there are no objections, I will declare the time of death.