A young child was discovered alive in a hospital morgue several hours after being mistakenly declared deceased by a doctor following a tragic drowning incident.
The 18-month-old boy, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was found unconscious in the family’s swimming pool during a Super Bowl gathering in Gilbert, Arizona, on February 8. Responders arrived at the scene at 5:20 pm and transported him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre.
Despite medical staff pronouncing him dead less than an hour later, the astonishing revelation came when the child was later found breathing while in the hospital morgue. He was swiftly airlifted to another medical facility for urgent care and has since been discharged.
An investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the handling of Vincent’s condition. Concerns have been raised regarding the decision to declare him deceased despite potential signs of life observed by officers.
The attending physician, Dr. Aryan Toosi, allegedly disregarded these concerns, stating, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.” Body camera footage captured the moment when Vincent was pronounced dead, sparking further inquiry.
Subsequent events, including the child’s parents believing he was still alive after being declared dead and a transporter from the Medical Examiner’s Office finding him breathing, have added complexity to the situation. The hospital has conducted an internal investigation into the matter.
The Gilbert Police Department has recommended child abuse charges against the parents, suspecting their potential impairment from substance use as a factor in the incident. The parents admitted to using marijuana on the day of the drowning, as per a police report.
Dr. Toosi’s lawyer has defended his client but refrained from detailed comments during the ongoing investigations. Despite the challenges faced, the family has shared their story through a GoFundMe page, highlighting Vincent’s current condition and ongoing medical needs.