An astonishing incident has sent shockwaves across the United States after an 18-month-old boy was found alive in a hospital morgue in Arizona—nearly five hours after being pulled unconscious from a residential swimming pool. What makes the case especially disturbing is that a physician declared the infant dead despite rescue personnel insisting they observed vital signs.
Timeline of the Incident
The incident occurred on February 8, when the child’s family called police after discovering the toddler face-down in their backyard pool. First responders initiated CPR and rushed the boy to a local hospital.
Upon arrival, officers told Dr. Aryan Tousi—on duty at the hospital—that they had seen signs of life in the child. Yet, approximately one hour after admission, Dr. Tousi officially pronounced the infant deceased. According to a police report, he responded dismissively and sarcastically to the officers’ concerns, saying: “Please do your job and let me do mine—I went to medical school for a reason.”
A body-worn camera video captured the moment Dr. Tousi announced the time of death: “Time of death: 6:20 p.m. One minute of silence.”
Discovery in the Morgue
Five hours later, staff from the county medical examiner’s office arrived at the hospital to collect the body. To their disbelief, they found the child still breathing. He was immediately transferred by air ambulance to another hospital, where he recovered and was later discharged.