The son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner may have died of asphyxiation after getting sick from food, reports say.
Costa Rican officials told NBC News and CNN that Miller Gardner, 14, appears to have died by asphyxia after a possible intoxication tied to food.
Miller’s body was reportedly found Friday in a hotel room in Manuel Antonio, a resort area on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.
His cause of death is preliminary, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia of the Judicial Investigation Agency told NBC News. Officials are awaiting an autopsy and a toxicology analysis.
Miller is the son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner, who played 14 seasons in the MLB. Brett retired after the 2021 season. He was also part of the Yankees’ championship team in 2009, was named an All-Star in 2015 and won an American League Gold Glove in 2016.
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The teen’s parents shared news of his death Sunday afternoon via the Yankees’ social media accounts. The family said he and other family members got sick while on vacation in Costa Rica.
“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.
What is food intoxication and how does it differ from other illnesses?
Foodborne intoxication occurs when people ingest food containing toxins formed by bacteria that have grown within the food, said Curtis Braun, a Food Safety Field Specialist with the South Dakota State University Extension.
“In the case of a foodborne intoxication, the live microorganism does not need to be ingested, but rather the toxin that the microorganism produces,” Braun wrote. “The rate of growth of bacteria in a food can be influenced by several characteristics which may include temperature, oxygen, pH, salinity, nutrients, water activity, and more.”
Another type of food-related illness people suffer from is a foodborne infection, which occurs when people ingest food containing live bacteria that grow and establish themselves in the human intestinal tract.
Miller, who passed away Friday, was the youngest of two sons.
His parents said in their statement that he loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, and his loved ones. They said 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.
“It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years,” the Yankees wrote. “So did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.”
Contributing: James H. Williams
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
