A child who had been declared dead following a pool drowning in the Phoenix suburbs last month later showed signs of life several hours after the initial pronouncement and is now expected to survive, according to officials and local reports.
The incident occurred on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 8, at a home in Gilbert, Arizona. Authorities said the child, whose name and age have not been publicly released, was discovered unresponsive in a backyard swimming pool.
Gilbert police and fire officials responded to reports of the drowning at approximately 5:35 p.m. First responders arrived at the home and immediately began lifesaving efforts in an attempt to revive the child.
Arizona child declared dead in pool drowning suddenly showed signs of life hours later and survives pic.twitter.com/RoOoXgty9K
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Emergency crews transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where medical staff continued efforts to save the child. Less than an hour after arrival at the hospital, the child was declared dead, according to reporting from AZFamily.
Several hours later, however, the situation changed dramatically.
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Just before 11:30 p.m. the same night, the child began showing signs of life. Medical personnel quickly transferred the patient by air ambulance to another hospital in the Phoenix area for additional treatment.
Authorities have since confirmed that the child is expected to survive despite the earlier declaration of death.
Police said the circumstances surrounding both the drowning and the unexpected return of vital signs remain under investigation.
Officials have not released further details about the condition of the child or the medical factors that may have contributed to the sudden change in the patient’s status.
The case has drawn attention due to the unusual sequence of events. Incidents in which individuals show signs of life after being declared dead are rare but have been documented in medical literature and emergency response cases.
One such case occurred in Texas in 2023 involving a 16-year-old boy who went into cardiac arrest while climbing a rock wall.
Bystanders, paramedics, and doctors performed CPR on the teenager for an extended period while attempting to revive him.
After two hours of efforts, the teen was pronounced dead.
However, while his parents were at his bedside saying their goodbyes, the teenager began to move.
The teen later survived the ordeal, though he sustained an ischemic spine injury during the cardiac arrest and temporarily lost the ability to move his legs.
Over time, he worked through rehabilitation and gradually regained the ability to walk.
Doctors later determined that the teen and members of his family were affected by a rare genetic condition known as Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, commonly referred to as CPVT. The disorder affects the heart and can trigger dangerous heart rhythm disturbances during physical stress or exertion.
Another documented case occurred in Michigan in 2019 when a man was electrocuted by a live wire and initially believed to have died from the incident.
Medical personnel later delivered additional controlled shocks to his heart, which restarted cardiac activity and brought him back to life.
While each of these incidents involves different medical circumstances, they illustrate how emergency response situations can sometimes unfold in unexpected ways.
Authorities in Gilbert say the investigation into the Feb. 8 pool incident remains ongoing as officials continue gathering information about the events leading up to the drowning and the child’s recovery.
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