An 18-month-old boy who fell into his family's swimming pool was mistakenly declared dead and placed into a body bag, only to be discovered alive nearly six hours later in a hospital mortuary. The child, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, survived the ordeal but reportedly suffered severe and permanent brain damage.
Incident Details
Vincent slipped into the back garden pool at his home in Gilbert, Arizona, USA, on 8 February. His father pulled him from the water and started CPR as paramedics rushed him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre. Despite resuscitation attempts, the child was pronounced dead by Dr Aryan Toosi at 6.20pm, according to newly released documents and emergency audio made public this month.
Vincent was then placed in a body bag and transferred to the hospital mortuary. Nearly six hours later, at around 11.45pm, a Maricopa County Medical Examiner's transporter arrived to collect the body. When the transporter opened the bag to move him, they noticed the toddler was still breathing.
Warnings Ignored
The newly unsealed police records allege multiple warnings were raised and ignored before the toddler was sent to the mortuary. A registered nurse at the hospital reportedly told Dr Toosi she could feel a pulse. Officers at the scene also claim they flagged concerning signs, saying they saw Vincent moving and heard him gasping or releasing air.
However, according to police documents, Dr Toosi dismissed these concerns, describing the gasps as 'agonal breathing', which are reflexive breaths that can occur after death, and ordered that the child be taken to the morgue regardless.
Aftermath and Family Response
Vincent was rushed back for emergency treatment and then airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital. The child reportedly sustained severe and permanent brain damage, believed to have resulted from prolonged oxygen deprivation, compounded by the harrowing experience of spending hours in a cold morgue while still alive. He is expected to require intensive, lifelong care, and his family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with what they describe as astronomical medical costs.
Hospital Investigation
Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center confirmed it had initiated a 'thorough internal review' into how the failure occurred. Nevertheless, the hospital has reportedly declined to confirm whether Dr Toosi has been suspended, dismissed or remains employed at the facility, citing patient privacy.
