The 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner died of carbon monoxide poisoning while on vacation in Costa Rica last month, an investigative agency in the Central American country said Thursday.
Brett and Jessica Gardner said that their son, Miller Gardner, died peacefully on March 21 in his sleep after he and other members of the family fell ill while on vacation.
Results of a test for carboxyhemoglobin saturation came back at 64% when 50% is considered lethal, according to Randall Zúñiga, director of the Costa Rica Judicial Investigation Agency.
The young victim was also tested for other drugs in his system and they all came back negative, Zúñiga added.
Zúñiga had previously said at a news conference Monday that high levels of carbon monoxide contamination were detected in the hotel room where the family was staying when Miller died.
The Costa Rican judicial investigative agency, known as OIJ, initially said that the preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation after ingesting some food, but that was later ruled out.
Miller was the youngest of the couple’s two children. An obituary published Saturday said that he was beloved by his family and those who knew him.
“The void Miller’s passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years,” the obituary reads. “The Gardner family will forever cherish the places they visited, the people they met, the friends they made, and the memories they created together.”
Brett Gardner spent his 14-season MLB career with the Yankees and was part of the Yankees team that won the World Series in 2009.
Nicole Duarte contributed.
