Declared dead from pool drowning, Arizona toddler found alive in hospital

International

AN 18-month-old boy in Arizona was found alive hours after a hospital declared him dead following a drowning incident.

The toddler was pulled unresponsive from a backyard swimming pool in Gilbert on February 8 while family members were gathered to watch the NFL Super Bowl, a report by BBC said.

According to a newly released police report, first responders performed life-saving measures before he was taken to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where a physician pronounced him dead about an hour later.

Police said officers informed the attending doctor that they had observed signs of life, but the physician proceeded with the declaration of death.

Five hours later, a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office discovered the child was still breathing in the hospital's morgue. He was immediately airlifted to another hospital, where he recovered and was later discharged.

"Out of courtesy to the family and patient confidentiality, we respectfully decline to make a statement at this time,” Scott Holden, the doctor's attorney, told the BBC in an emailed statement.

Meanwhile, police recommended negligence charges against the child's parents after investigators reported finding a strong smell of marijuana inside the home, suggesting the toddler may have had unsupervised access to the pool.

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to file charges.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said in a statement that the hospital conducted “a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

The hospital called it "a heartbreaking situation" and declined to release further details. (Mary Elaine Virtucio, UP Cebu Comm Intern)