Investigation Ongoing in Arizona Toddler’s Near-Drowning Incident

An alarming event unfolded on Super Bowl Sunday involving an Arizona toddler. At 6:20 p.m., the child was declared dead in an emergency room, but by 11:52 p.m., he was found breathing in the morgue. The nearly six-hour gap between these events is under investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

According to the Gilbert Police Department, 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino survived and has been released from the hospital. However, police have recommended that the county attorney charge his parents with child abuse. The police report, seen by local NBC affiliate KPNX, suggests the parents were unaware of their son’s movements due to possible impairment from marijuana or other substances.

Both parents admitted to using marijuana the morning of the incident, the report indicates. A spokesman for the county attorney has not commented on this case.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center conducted its own investigation into the situation. The hospital has not disclosed its findings or whether the doctor who pronounced Vincent dead is still employed there. Identified in the police report as A. Toosi, the doctor declined to explain his decision when queried by law enforcement. NBC News attempted to reach Toosi, but received no response from his attorney, Scott Holden.

Vincent’s name isn’t directly mentioned in the police report, but his family has initiated a crowdfunding effort to address medical costs. A spokesperson for the family provided limited comments on a call.

Despite the initial diagnosis, Vincent’s condition appears stable. He is on a ventilator and requires ongoing medical monitoring and therapy.

The unsettling sequence of events began at 5:38 p.m. on February 8, starting with a 911 call. Vincent was discovered unresponsive in the family pool, and CPR was performed by relatives before he was taken to the emergency room at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. The medical team, which included Dr. Toosi, worked to save him.

At 6:13 p.m., reports indicate Toosi checked the time and conveyed bad news to the parents. Despite disagreement from others present, Toosi officially declared Vincent’s time of death at 6:20 p.m. However, observers noted that Vincent seemed to be gasping for breath even after this announcement.

At approximately 7:18 p.m., a detective on site heard what sounded like a gasp as preparations were made to transfer Vincent to the morgue. The detective reported hearing more such sounds an hour later. Medical staff suggested these were due to agonal breathing, attributed to previous lifesaving efforts.

The morgue’s door was closed at 7:23 p.m. That night, around 11:52 p.m., when the medical examiner’s team came to collect the body, they discovered that Vincent was breathing. He was then airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and his family was immediately notified.