An 18-month-old toddler who was declared dead after a drowning incident in a pool was found alive in a hospital morgue in Gilbert, Arizona, on February 8, 2026. According to a police report, first responders were called to a home in the Phoenix-area suburb after the child was discovered unresponsive in the water. Despite life-saving measures, the toddler was pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
Details of the Drowning Incident
On the day of the incident, the child's family was gathered to watch the NFL Super Bowl when the emergency unfolded. Gilbert police arrived at the home around 5:30 PM MST and quickly began life-saving efforts. After being transported to the hospital, the child was declared dead at 6:20 PM, a decision made by Dr. Aryan Toosi.
Video footage from police body cameras revealed Dr. Toosi's statement: "If there's no objections, I'd like to call time of death. Time of death 18:20. Moment of silence." The declaration came shortly before a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office arrived to collect the body.
Toddler Discovered Alive in Morgue
Five hours after the time of death was declared, the transporter discovered the child still breathing in the hospital's cold room. This shocking revelation led to the toddler being flown to another hospital where he successfully recovered and has since been released.
