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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.