A Long Island high school hockey player is fighting to return to the ice after a near-fatal accident in the summer that left him briefly paralyzed. The 17-year-old, Connor Dubeau, who is a senior at Smithtown West High School, suffered a broken neck while diving into rocky waters at Gilgo Beach.
Doctors say he fractured the C4 bone in his neck. Immediately after the injury, he couldn’t move. He told reporters he tried to get up in the water, but his body wouldn’t listen.
“I was confused, like, why couldn’t I move? Usually, I would try to get back up, my first instinct is get back up,” said Dubeau. “I tried my hardest, couldn’t move at all.”
He was taken to the hospital, where he had a successful surgery. In what his father, Mark Dubeau, called a series of “little miracles,” Connor was walking again just two days after surgery. He spent only eight days in the hospital before being discharged.
“It was probably one of the most scary feelings I’ve ever had as a father, but there was several little miracles that happened that day,” his father said.
Connor’s recovery has been slow, but he hasn’t given up hope. He still shows up at his team’s practices, even though he can’t skate yet. Teammate Kevin Bonino, who rescued Connor from the water, said, “It just shows how good of a teammate he is and he wants to get back and play.”
His father said the family spent many nights at the rink even before the injury, and Connor’s spirit has helped him push through.
“Our nights and weekends have been filled with going to hockey rinks and competing, sometimes fighting, and I knew his fighting spirit would come through,” his father said.
Connor has also received a lot of support from the hockey community. Even former National Hockey League players have sent him messages of encouragement, including his favorite former player P.K. Subban.
For now, he is focused on rehab and getting his strength back. While his doctors have been very clear that getting him to walk safely is the number one focus, Connor hopes that one day soon he will be able to lace up his skates and join his team on the ice again.
