NIGHTMARE

Toddler Found Alive in Morgue Hours After Being Declared Dead by Doctor

A medical examiner discovered that the 18-month-old was still alive.

An Arizona toddler was confirmed alive in a morgue hours after being pronounced dead. The 18-month-old, whose identity has not been released, drowned in his family’s pool in February. A doctor at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona, where the child was brought following the tragic incident, pronounced the child dead. Newly obtained footage by the Gilbert Police Department shows the morgue’s medical examiner discovering that the child was still alive. Further statements by police revealed that a nurse heard a pulse on the child before the doctor’s ruling. It was later determined that the child survived the drowning with permanent brain damage. “Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details,” Mercy Medical Center said in a statement to ABC 15. “We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.” The doctor is not facing charges following the incident.