Miller Gardner died last month of carbon monoxide inhalation, a toxicology report confirmed Wednesday night — just two days after Costa Rican authorities revealed the hotel room where the 14-year-old son of Yankees legend Brett Gardner stayed with his family had “high levels” of the noxious gas.
The teen died suddenly on March 21 while on vacation in Costa Rica after suffering a mysterious illness that affected several members of his family.
Miller Gardner (second from right) was the son of Yankee great Brett Gardner (right).
Now, officials with the Judicial Investigation Agency of Costa Rica said Miller died of carbon monoxide poisoning sustained at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort — which denied initial reports that the invisible, but deadly toxin was the culprit.
“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.
The Costa Rican official on Monday revealed that the family’s hotel room, located adjacent to a mechanical room at the resort, was contaminated with “high levels of carbon monoxide.”
The Gardner family was staying at the Arenas Del Mar beach resort in Costa Rica. Toby Canham For NY Post
“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.”
Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort, however, denied the validity of the official’s report to The Post, claiming that the machine room tested positive for the outrageously high levels of the toxic gas, not the guests’ rooms.
Miller Gardner was only 14 when he died. TikTok / zoe
“The levels in the hotel room were non-existent and non-lethal. There was an error in this initial reporting,” the resort said on Tuesday.
Initial theories suggested Miller likely died of asphyxiation in his sleep, choking on vomit due to food poisoning, but the theory was ruled out when authorities revealed the 14-year-old had no windpipe blockage.
Former Yankee Brett Gardner and his wife Jessica mourned the tragic loss of their son in an obituary Tuesday.
“The void Miller’s passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years,” the family wrote.
“Miller’s time here with [the family] was brief but his spirit will carry on forever through those who were impacted by the way he lived,” the obituary read.
A public relations representative for Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort did not respond to The Post’s request for comment by the time of publication.
