Stunned Survival: Arizona Toddler Misdeclared Dead, Rescued from Hospital Morgue

by Zaineb Sharif and Brandon Drenon • 8 July 2026

Exterior of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona

A US toddler who was found unresponsive in an Arizona pool and declared dead was later discovered to be alive in the hospital's "cold room", a newly released police report shows.

The family of the 18‑month‑old, Hannah, called police when they found him face‑down in the backyard pool of a residence in the Phoenix‑area suburb of Gilbert on 8 February.

First responders performed life‑saving procedures before the child was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was declared dead an hour later.

According to the police report, officers had observed signs of life and relayed this to Dr. Aryan Toosi, a physician at the hospital. The report quotes the doctor saying: "Please do your thing and let me do my thing", adding "I went to medical school for a reason."

The incident occurred while a family had gathered to watch the NFL Super Bowl. Police arrived around 17:30 MST (00:30 GMT) and the toddler was pronounced dead at 18:20.

Body‑cam footage shows a Dr. Toosi asking, "If there's no objections, I'd like to call time of death," before declaring the time of death at 18:20.

Five hours later, a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office found the child was still breathing. He was flown to another hospital, recovered, and has since been released.

The police report does not include the child's medical records, leaving details about what exactly happened ambiguous.

The doctor’s attorney, Scott Holden, sent a brief statement to the BBC: "Out of courtesy to the family and patient confidentiality, we respectfully decline to make a statement at this time."

Police are recommending negligence charges against the parents, citing a strong smell of marijuana at the home and the possibility that the child had unsupervised access to the pool.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has not yet decided whether to press charges.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said it was conducting "a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care," but declined to share further details, calling the situation "heartbreaking."