Woman Who 'Almost Died' in Freezing Lake Says She's Been Body-Shamed Over Shocking Rescue Video

It took just two minutes for Korisa Miller to lose feeling in her legs in the 36-degree water

In a frightening rescue that was caught on video, authorities in Michigan stepped in to help save a woman who’d fallen into a frigid lake while fishing on Monday — and the woman has since been inundated with comments shaming her body.

Korisa Miller was fishing off the docks near Beacon Cove Marina in Harrison Township when she slipped and fell into the 36-degree water below, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

She had a friend nearby who quickly realized her pal was “struggling in the icy waters,” and tried to pull her up, but was unsuccessful, as Miller’s body had gone numb in the cold water and she was unable to move.

Two fishermen who were nearby also attempted to help, and the group made efforts to keep Miller’s head above water to prevent her from “surely” drowning, the sheriff’s office said.

Miller, who identified herself in the comments section of the post, wrote that she is well aware people should not go out onto the ice when the lake is frozen over, but that the situation was an unfortunate accident that came after she lost her footing.

“My knee bashed the dock and I hit the ice,” she wrote. “It took only a few seconds for the ice to give in because as all of you have been saying I am a thick woman. The spot where I fell in the water was 12 feet deep and I had to hang on to stay alive.”

She said it took just two minutes for her to lose all feeling in her legs, and that she soon started drifting out of consciousness after spending about 15 minutes in the water.

In the video shared by authorities, bodycam footage shows deputies and members of the Harrison Fire Department rushing to the scene as Miller’s friend warns them that she’s unable to move her legs.

Macomb County Sheriff’s Office

The two fishermen can be seen holding her arms and keeping her afloat as she cries, “Help me, I’m numb. I’m completely numb. I’m stuck.”

After a few tries, the officers are able to pull her out by her arms as she continues to cry out for help.

“The moment you see on camera was after I started to fall asleep, and then I [saw] Officer Davis and knew I was going to be okay,” Miller wrote.

Miller is wearing just a tank top and leggings in the video, but clarified that she initially had on a hoodie and a winter coat to keep warm.

“When they tried pulling me up, my hoodie and coat was choking me so they had to rip it off of me. I did not go fishing in a tank top,” she wrote.

Miller told the Detroit Free Press that after the sheriff’s office shared footage of her rescue, she was bombarded with social media comments shaming her for her outfit and weight.

“After going through such a traumatic experience and I almost died, this is what people have to say,” she told the outlet. “I just think these people have no conscience anymore. People have no idea that I used to be 400 pounds and now I am the way I am.”

She defended herself further by leaving a Facebook comment on the sheriff’s office video that clarified the timeline of events, writing that some of those leaving comments “should be ashamed of what you are saying to me.”

“I have a lot of people that have my back but I also wanted to go and speak for myself too,” she told the Free Press. “Shame on people like that.”

The sheriff’s office wrote that Miller is “doing better today,” but warned that anyone going fishing should be sure to fish with a partner and wear proper, non-slip footwear.

“She is forever grateful to her friend and the fisherman that saved her life,” they wrote. “We thank them as well.”