A Pregnant Woman Fell Through An Icy Pond. This Fairfield Man Came To Her Rescue.

FAIRFIELD, CT — Panic set in Friday for Melissa Miller as she thrashed 30 feet from shore in the icy waters of Perry’s Mill Pond, trying unsuccessfully to lift her dog, Misty May, onto its partially frozen surface.

Water filled her lungs, and the 35-year-old expectant mother feared for herself and her baby.

Then, a man — Bridgeport firefighter and Fairfield resident Marcus Dierna — came to her rescue, tying a garden hose to a tree and dragging Miller across the ice to safety.

“I’m not a religious person, but someone was looking over me that day,” said Miller, who lives in Fairfield.

The day started like any other. Miller took her rescue dogs, Oscar and Misty May, a 1-year-old who is “still very much a puppy,” to the pond for an off-leash hike, a frequent activity for the trio. While they were out walking, they encountered Fairfield resident Lauren Effron and her dog, Cletus. The women chatted and went their separate ways, with Miller heading to the parking lot, when Misty ran out onto the frozen pond.

“She looked at me, and then she fell through the ice,” Miller said. “I couldn’t just watch her drown.”

Miller walked out onto the pond, but as she neared Misty, she fell in too.

“I was just so cold and I was inhaling water and I couldn’t breathe,” said Miller, who is seven months pregnant with her first child.

Fortunately, Dierna, a captain with the Bridgeport Fire Department, saw splashing from his kitchen window. His emergency training kicked in, and he ran to his shed to grab the hose and rushed down to the pond.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Effron had decided to end her hike early due to the rainy weather, when she saw Misty on the ice.

“It happened so fast, I just started running,” Effron said.

Effron had no leash or way to reach Miller, but she called 911, and saw Dierna racing toward the pond.

“He got there in lightning time,” she said.

Miller emerged from the water “shaking like a leaf” and minus one shoe, Effron said, and they covered her in their coats.

Not long after, Fairfield firefighters arrived and wrapped Miller in blankets.

“I couldn’t feel my body for, like, 10 minutes,” she said.

Miller was taken to a hospital, where her baby’s heartbeat was confirmed.

“The baby has been moving more than ever, which is a positive sign,” she said.

Effron stayed behind and worked with two firefighters to get Misty off the ice. Both Misty and Oscar are safe.

Miller visited Dierna on Saturday with flowers and a card.

“I don’t know what would have happened if he didn’t save me,” she said, choking up in an interview with Patch. “He was my guardian angel that day.”

Dierna was quick to credit his Bridgeport fire training and said that any firefighter in his situation would have done the same. He also warned Fairfielders of the safety risks at Perry’s Mill Pond.

“I think people need to just be a little more careful,” he said.

In a news release issued after the accident, the Fairfield Fire Department urged residents to call 911 immediately if a pet wanders onto the ice, before attempting to rescue them.