Police records describe a near-drowning, a disputed death call and a late-night discovery.
GILBERT, Ariz. — Newly released police records and 911 calls say an 18-month-old boy was found alive in a hospital morgue hours after he was declared dead following a backyard pool drowning in Gilbert.
The case centers on a Feb. 8 Super Bowl party near Higley and Chandler Heights roads. Police said the boy was pulled from a backyard pool about 5:30 p.m. after floating face down for an estimated 10 to 15 minutes. First responders rushed him to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where a doctor pronounced him dead at 6:20 p.m.
A 911 caller described relatives performing CPR before emergency crews arrived. At the hospital, police records say questions began almost immediately after the doctor declared the child dead. A nurse reported a pulse, and an officer wrote that the doctor dismissed the concern. The report says the doctor told the officer he was the doctor, had the medical degree and should be allowed to continue.
Police records say officers, nurses and the boy’s parents later saw or heard signs they believed could show life, including gasps for air. Nurses described the breaths as agonal breathing, a reflex that can occur near death. The boy’s parents said goodbye after the death pronouncement. About five hours later, medical examiner staff arrived to move the body and found the child still breathing in the hospital morgue.
The boy was then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Police later said he had been released from the hospital but may have brain damage. His name has not been publicly released in the police account cited by local reporting. The full medical outcome remains unclear, and police records do not resolve how long the boy had signs of life after the death pronouncement.
Dignity Health said in a statement that the situation was heartbreaking and that the hospital reviewed the care provided. The health system said it made changes to strengthen care but could not discuss details because of patient privacy. The doctor who pronounced the child dead is not facing criminal charges, according to the latest reporting.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing whether the boy’s parents could face child abuse charges. Police records say both parents admitted using marijuana and not closely watching the child during the party. No charging decision had been announced as of Friday.
The case remains under review by prosecutors, while the hospital says it has completed an internal review. Police records and 911 audio now provide the clearest public timeline of the child’s near-drowning and the hours before he was found alive.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.