An Arizona toddler was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in a pool, but was later discovered to be alive in the hospital morgue. The incident occurred on Super Bowl Sunday and is currently under investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Investigation Underway
The boy, 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, was found floating face down in the family pool and was rushed to the emergency room at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. However, at 11:52 p.m., the boy was found breathing in the hospital morgue.
The circumstances surrounding the near-drowning and the events that led to the boy being declared dead are under investigation. The Gilbert Police Department has recommended that the boy’s parents be charged with child abuse, citing that they may have been impaired by marijuana and/or other mind-altering substances at the time of the incident.
The hospital has conducted its own internal investigation into the matter, but the results have not been made public. The doctor who pronounced the boy dead, A. Toosi, has been identified in the police report and has been referred to a lawyer.
Vincent is currently breathing with the assistance of a ventilator and has avoided serious brain damage, but will require ongoing medical monitoring and extensive therapy. A crowdfunding page has been set up to help with the medical costs.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
