Police records say officers and nurses reported signs of life before the child was moved to a hospital cold room.
GILBERT, Ariz. — An 18-month-old boy pulled from a backyard pool in Gilbert was found alive in a hospital morgue more than five hours after a doctor pronounced him dead, according to police records released this week.
The case has drawn new scrutiny because police reports and body camera video describe repeated signs of life after the child was declared dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. The records also raise questions about the medical response, the handling of concerns raised by nurses and officers, and the investigation into how the toddler reached the pool.
Gilbert police were called at 5:35 p.m. Feb. 8 after the child was found floating face down in a family pool. Family members called 911 and began CPR before first responders arrived. Officers and emergency crews continued life-saving measures, and the toddler was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. A doctor pronounced him dead at 6:20 p.m. Police records reviewed by local news outlets say a nurse soon reported, “I have a pulse,” while officers also noted movements and sounds they believed could be signs the child was still alive.
The police report says one officer tried to alert the doctor after hearing the nurse report a pulse. The officer wrote that the doctor dismissed the concern and said he was the physician. Records identify the doctor as Aryan Toosi, an osteopathic physician licensed in Arizona. Public records cited in local reports show no disciplinary actions against his license. Police records say hospital staff stopped life-saving measures after the time of death was called, and several nurses left the emergency room in tears.
Officers continued to document what they saw and heard after the boy was pronounced dead. One officer wrote that a release of air was audible and visible, and later described the sound as gasping. Another officer reported hearing another gasp when staff moved the child toward the hospital’s cold room, which police described as the morgue. Hospital staff told police the sounds could have been agonal breathing, a term used for irregular gasps that can happen near death. The child remained in the cold room for hours.
At about 11:52 p.m., medical examiner transport staff arrived and found the toddler breathing, according to police records. The child was then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment. Early reports said the boy had suffered serious injuries from the near-drowning. Accounts have differed on the extent of any long-term brain injury, with some records describing brain damage and other family-related reports saying later testing showed a less severe result. Officials have not released a full public medical update.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said the situation was heartbreaking and said it conducted a review of the care provided. The hospital said it could not discuss patient details because of privacy rules but said it made changes meant to strengthen care. The doctor who pronounced the child dead is not facing criminal charges in connection with the hospital decision, according to reports citing authorities.
The near-drowning itself remains under review. Gilbert police recommended a felony child abuse charge against the child’s parents, according to local reports. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case, and no charges had been filed as of the latest reports. Police records say the child may have been unattended for several minutes before he was found in the pool.
The newly released records have shifted attention from the February emergency call to the decisions made inside the hospital. Police, medical staff and county prosecutors are now part of separate questions involving the child’s care, the pool incident and whether anyone will face charges. The next public milestone is a decision from prosecutors on the police charging recommendation.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.