Miller Gardner, the teenage son of New York Yankees alum Brett Gardner, died from carbon monoxide poisoning, Costa Rica officials confirmed.
A new toxicology report found the 14-year-old South Carolina boy’s body had carboxyhemoglobin level of 64%, which is 14% above what is considered lethal, the nation’s Judicial Investigation Agency said Wednesday.
Costa Rican officials initially suggested that Miller died from asphyxia, when the body does not receive enough oxygen, after a possible intoxication tied to food. But asphyxiation was ruled out after ‘no macro-level abnormalities were observed in the respiratory tract upon inspection of the body,’ Juan Pablo Alvarado García, an official with the investigative agency, told USA TODAY on Tuesday.
Miller’s body was found in a hotel room in Costa Rica while on vacation, according to NBC News and CNN. Former Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and wife Jessica Gardner shared the tragic news of their son’s death on Sunday through the baseball team’s social media pages.
“We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st,” they wrote.
USA TODAY reached out to the Judicial Investigation Agency on Thursday for more information.
What is carboxyhemoglobin?
Carboxyhemoglobin is a complex that forms when red blood cells are exposed to carbon monoxide, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Carboxyhemoglobin saturation levels above 50% are considered lethal, according to the center. Toxicity levels of 10% to 30% may also be lethal in patients with underlying ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Who was Miller Gardner?
Miller is the son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner. He is also survived by his mother Jessica and older brother Hunter, 16.
Gardner played 14 seasons in the MLB, including on the New York Yankees’ 2009 championship team, was named an All-Star in 2015, and won an American League Gold Glove in 2016 before retiring in 2021.
Miller’s parents said their son also loved baseball, as well as football, golf, hunting, fishing, and his loved ones. They added in their statement they are struggling to come to terms with life without the teenager and his ‘infectious smile.’
‘He lived life to the fullest every single day,’ his family wrote.
The family encouraged the public to make donations to Make-A-Wish Foundation, the non-profit that grants wishes for sick children.
Where was Miller Gardner staying in Costa Rica?
Miller Gardner was vacationing in Manuel Antonio, a resort area on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, when he and other family members got sick, CNN and NBC News reported.
The Gardner family went out to dinner at a restaurant near the resort the night before his death when they began feeling sick and returned to the hotel, according to ABC News.