London, Ont.-area teen paralyzed after pool accident
It’s a cautionary tale that no mother wants to tell, but Beth Mathewson is sharing her story hoping it raises awareness around pool safety.
“It’s a different life now,” says Mathewson as she holds back tears.
On Monday, June 7, a tragic pool accident left her 19-year-old son Connor Mathewson-Webster with spinal injuries.
"He got off work early, he went to a friend's, that he's been to before, to swim -- hot day and somehow from running around and playing with the friend's little nine-year-old brother, and playing with the dog, he went into the pool.”
Mathewson says it's unclear what actually happened, but she was told Connor resurfaced unconscious, and that's when the family pulled Connor out of the water and performed CPR.
"They are the only reason Connor is alive...the way they reacted at getting him to hospital so fast and on ice, they all thought Connor would have significant brain damage, and his brain is OK and it's because of how the father and son all reacted."
Beth Mathewson discusses a pool accident that left her teenage son paralyzed, Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Reta Ismail / CTV News)
Beth Mathewson discusses a pool accident that left her teenage son paralyzed, Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Reta Ismail / CTV News)
Mathewson says Connor has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He will remain in hospital until a bed becomes available at Parkwood Institute, where he will undergo extensive therapy for months.
Family friend Tracey White, who works as an ambulance dispatcher, was actually working on the day of the accident.
"We have to get certain information and I asked for the patient's name. And when I got Connor’s name, of course, my heart sank. I immediately reached out to Beth,” says White.
White organized a GoFundMe campaign to help the family with future costs associated with Connor’s recovery. It has already raised over $40,000.
Mathewson hopes her family's tragedy serves as a reminder that people need to more aware of pool safety.
"Have your water safety, have your buddy system, just have your awareness about you.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.