A mother in Virginia says her son drowned after he was bullied and pushed into the deep end of the pool. 

Angie Morton remembers her 16-year-old son, Vernard.

Angie Morton, mother: “I’m going to miss waking him up in the morning for school. Miss him talking him, going to miss him watching TV with me; playing the games.”

Vernard, who was going into his junior year at Highland Springs High School, drowned Friday night.

According to Morton– he was teased and pushed into the deep end by almost a dozen boys who pretended to be his friend. 

Morton says her son had a learning disability and was often bullied.

“They bullied him because he was different than other people,” Morton tells WWBT. 

Around 3pm on Friday, mom says Vernard got a call from a girl, telling him to head over to the 11 North at White Oak Apartments, where she and some other friends were hanging out.

“He just wanted friends and he figured if they hanging with me, maybe they’ll be my friend.”

According to Morton, almost immediately after he got there is when the incident happened.

He was allegedly pushed into the deep end– hit his head– then sunk underwater.

Morton says the pool was packed with people, but no one helped her child.

“My son was at the bottom of the pool for over three minutes and they looked at him like ‘oh he playing.’” 

Morton says, police arrived at her house around 5 to tell her, her son was lifeless and on the way to the hospital.

Morton rushed to be by his side.

Vernard was brain dead.

He died Saturday morning.

“My son died because these little boys dared him and forced him into the pool.”

Now, all that Morton has left, are memories of her son and the will to fight to keep his memory alive.

Police are investigating the drowning.

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