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The brothers, Fairfield resident Jonathan Goldfarb, and his brother Matthew Goldfarb, of Howell, New Jersey, were honored during a ceremony at the Fairfield Police Department on Wednesday, July 7.
The rescue took place on Tuesday, Dec. 22 around 4:05 p.m., when the Fairfield Police Department received a 911 call reported a man and his dog in the water in Lake Mohegan, Sergeant Michael Stahl said.
In open water, about 100 feet from shore, the 24-year-old man and his dog struggled to stay above the water.
The man had been walking his dog with his girlfriend when the dog ran onto the ice and fell into the water, Stahl said.
The man then ran into the lake in an attempt to rescue the dog.
The man swam into deep water and became submerged multiple times and was having difficulty getting back to shore due to the extremely cold temperature of the water.
The man's girlfriend began to yell for help and entered the water in an attempt to assist the man.
Jonathan Goldfarb, a physical therapist, and Matthew Goldfarb, a teacher were walking with family in the area and heard the cries for help.
They ran to the area and found the man in distress in the water.
"Jonathan and Matthew both entered the water without hesitation, knowing their own safety and lives were at risk," Stahl said.
The two men grasped the man and his dog and were able to pull them to safety onto dry land.
The man was reported to have been in the freezing water, submerged at times, for approximately 10 minutes. The brothers were in the water for approximately four minutes.
Fairfield Police and Fire Department personnel responded and found the man exhibiting signs of severe hypothermia.
He was transported to an area hospital and recovered. The Goldfarb brothers were also treated at an area hospital and recovered.
“The actions of both Jonathan and Matthew Goldfarb represent an outstanding act of heroism," said Police Chief Robert Kalamaras.
Kalamaras said the department nominated the brothers for the medal for "risking their own lives," to save others.
"The Fairfield Police Department congratulates Jonathan and Matthew Goldfarb and extends its thanks and appreciation for their heroism.”
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