Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, tragically passed away at a resort in Costa Rica during a family vacation, and many have been waiting on his official cause of death.
Miller was found in his hotel room at the beautiful Arenas del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort. Just the night before, he and his family had experienced a sudden bout of illness that included severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, prompting them to seek help from the resort’s doctor.
Initially, authorities thought Miller had an allergic reaction to the medication, or he may have brought an infection during his time around the beach that could have been involved in his passing.
They also thought Miller had died from asphyxia, potentially linked to food intoxication.
We now know the official cause.
The 14-year-old son of former Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner died last month of carbon monoxide inhalation; a toxicology report confirmed Wednesday night. This was revealed days after Costa Rican authorities revealed the hotel room had “high levels” of the noxious gas.
“The toxicology results are in, and the carboxyhemoglobin test found a saturation of 64%. Concentrations above 50% are already lethal,” Randall Zuniga, director of the investigative agency, said Wednesday, according to CRHOY.
“It’s also important to note that next to [the family’s] room, there is a specialized machine room, from which it is believed some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident,” Zuniga said at a virtual press conference.
Zuniga stated that a test found the air in the family’s hotel room contained carbon monoxide levels as high as “600 parts per million.”
The forensic and pathology test results could take one to four months.
New York Yankees Honored Brett Gardner’s Son’s Tragic Passing On Season Opener
New York Yankees World Series champion Brett Gardner and his wife Jessica are still terribly heartbroken over the loss of their son Miller after he died at age 14 during a vacation in Costa Rica.
Gardner played for the Yankees from 2008-2021 and was part of the organization’s last World Series championship in 2009. He is one of the very few players to have been teammates with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, and then Aaron Judge many years later.
The Yankees themselves paid tribute to the late teenager son of the former outfielder before their 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day.
The team would observe a moment of silence before the first pitch and displayed a photo of Miller on the team’s video board.
