A family made a frantic call to 911 after discovering their 18-month-old child, Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, submerged in their backyard pool. This distressing event took place during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The harrowing moments were captured in audio, revealing how the operator instructed the family on performing compressions on the unresponsive child. Multiple calls were made almost simultaneously, showcasing the panic of the situation.
“I found my nephew in the pool,” a family member trembled as he reported the incident. The pool’s temperature was approximately 57 degrees Fahrenheit at that time, a detail noted in police records.
As the operator inquired about the child’s breathing, the family member hesitated, saying, “I’m not sure.” In another call from the same location, the urgency escalated, with multiple voices heard screaming as they struggled to communicate the dire circumstances.
A woman’s voice pierced through the chaos, saying, “I’m calling, I’m calling.” One man, nearly breathless, echoed the immediate need for an ambulance. Before the call could detail the situation, the operator noted down the address, while someone shouted, “My nephew fell in the pool!” The family attempted CPR, although there was uncertainty about how long Vincent had been in the water.
As the operator gathered critical information, there were fleeting moments of hope when the infant was reported to be “starting to react.” However, after nearly six minutes of calls, first responders arrived, but sadly, Vincent was later pronounced dead at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. Interestingly, officers on the scene remarked that they had seen signs of life prior to this declaration.
Days later, an unexpected turn occurred when a medical examiner at the morgue detected faint signs of a heartbeat. Vincent was then swiftly taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. His family reported that the initial prognosis was grim, citing potential organ failure and brain damage.
Yet, subsequent imaging results revealed no brain damage, only minor bruising, which the doctors believed would heal as Vincent’s brain developed. Though this news brought relief, his path to recovery remains long and challenging, requiring consistent medical support and treatment.
As of February 14, updates indicated that Vincent was on a ventilator, slowly improving, and receiving the affectionate term “miracle baby” from the medical staff. Still, the high costs of his care weighed heavily on his family, leading them to seek $16,000 in donations, of which around $14,000 had already been raised.
Amid these struggles, legal issues loomed. A toxicology evaluation revealed that Vincent’s parents tested positive for THC, raising concerns. Police noted a “strong odor” of marijuana at the residence, leading investigators to express that drug use had contributed to a “questionable and dangerous situation.” Consequently, they recommended charges, including one felony count of child abuse to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
In a statement, the Gilbert Police Department emphasized the thoroughness of their investigation and the basis for their recommended charges against both parents. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office acknowledged receipt of the recommendation but has yet to reach a decision on the matter.
