Grande Prairie mom and 7-year-old son help save family of three from drowning
A mother suffered a seizure in a Dawson Creek hotel pool and pulled her two children under with her before quick action from bystanders kept all three alive.
Why it matters
The rescue highlights how quick action by bystanders can be the difference between life and death in a medical emergency.
Kimberley Matthews, a Grande Prairie resident, was at a Dawson Creek hotel pool on August 6 during the city's Midway event when she noticed her 7-year-old son and his friend trying to pull an unconscious baby out of the water.
Matthews rushed to help lift the baby to safety, then sent her son running through the hotel to raise the alarm and get staff to call 911 while she turned her attention to the pool, where she found a woman and a 5-year-old girl also unconscious. With help from nearby bystanders, she pulled both from the water and began performing life-saving measures, continuing rescue breaths until she saw signs of life return before paramedics arrived.
Investigators later determined the woman had suffered a seizure in the pool, inadvertently pulling her children underwater with her. All three family members regained consciousness and are expected to make a full recovery. Paramedics and investigators praised Matthews' son, shaking his hand and calling him a hero.
Matthews and the other rescuers have since met with the family, who are in the process of moving to Alaska for the father's dental practice. Matthews said she simply did what anyone would have done in the situation.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.