Costa Rican authorities announced on Wednesday night that Brett Gardner’s teenage son had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. According to J.I.A. director Randall Ziga, Miller Gardner, 14, was tested for carboxyhemoglobin, a substance made when carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood. It is thought that a carboxyhemoglobin saturation of more than 50% is fatal. In Gardner’s case, the test showed a saturation of 64%.
“It’s important to note that adjacent to this room is a dedicated machine room, where it’s thought there may be some sort of contamination toward these rooms,” Ziga stated. He went on to say that the boy’s organs had a “layer” discovered during the autopsy. When a lot of the poisonous gas is present, this layer forms. Gardner passed away on March 21 while staying with his family at a hotel on the Pacific coast of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. At first, it was thought that he had died from asphyxiation. An autopsy determined that this was not the case. Another avenue of inquiry was whether the family had been ill with food poisoning. Family members had reported feeling unwell the night before the teen’s death after eating at a nearby restaurant, and the hotel doctor had treated them. In 2005, the Yankees selected 41-year-old Brett Gardner. Until his retirement in 2021, he represented the entire team in the major leagues. He was a popular figure among teammates and fans throughout his lengthy tenure with the club. “Miller was a beloved son and brother, and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile,” said Brett Gardner and Jessica in a statement released after their son’s death. He cherished his friends and family, as well as football, baseball, golf, hunting, and fishing. He lived life to the fullest every day. The Yankees claimed that the team was “filled with grief.” “Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss,” the team said in a statement. The article continues with the statement, “It wasn’t just Brett who grew up in this organization for more than 17 years; his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller, did the same.”
