IT’S a milestone her family thought she would never reach, but a Blaenau Gwent girl who nearly drowned as a toddler has just started secondary school.

Megan Fisher, 11, from East Pentwyn in Blaina, had her first day at Brynmawr Foundation School on Wednesday.

Megan was only two when she had to be pulled from the lake outside Asda in Brynmawr in October 2006 after she had disappeared while on a shopping trip with her grandmother.

She had stopped breathing when she was hauled from the lake by local hero Ryan Huish.

Mr Huish, of Lakeside Way, Brynmawr, waded out around 10 feet to discover the two-year-old lying in the water. The top half of her body was completely submerged.

He dragged the tot to the side of the lake and found she had no pulse. He began resuscitating her with the help of neighbours Carole Morgan and Joanne Lewis.

The toddler, who had suffered a cardiac arrest, had to be put on a life support machine in an intensive care unit at the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff.

South Wales Argus: SWA_TIDY_7.10.06COPY PIC OF MEGAN FISHER WHO FELL IN THE LAKESIDE LAKE IN BRYNMAWR (37469906)

SURVIVOR: Megan Fisher as a toddler

She spent nearly a week in intensive care as her family kept a bedside vigil and prayed for her recovery.

Remarkably, the Blaina girl has since made a full recovery, despite suffering three cardiac arrests in the hours after the accident, and does not even require inhalers anymore.

Now an avid swimmer, Megan, formerly of Ystruth Primary in Blaina, has no recollection of the event and often revisits the family scrapbook of Argus cuttings from the time.

Having just started secondary school, bubbly Megan said she has already looking forward to trying out for the school netball team and the school’s pantomime production of the Lion King at Christmas.

Speaking about her first couple of days, Megan said: “It was quite fun. I’ve made some friends. It’s better than I thought it would be.

“I like the teachers, art, PE and computers. It’s just great.”

Megan’s father, Wesleigh, 35, said: “She was very nervous. She had gotten quite close to her teachers in junior school. With everything that happened, she was a bit of a star there.

“It was a big thing, but she loved it. She really enjoyed it. She couldn’t wait to go this morning. She was down the bus stop 20 minutes early.

“It broke our hearts a little bit. We still can’t believe that she’s here today. We can’t believe that she’s come so far."

Megan’s grandfather, Philip Fisher, 58, added: “To see her all dressed up there, ready for school, was so emotional.

“It’s a long time ago, but we never thought we‘d have this day come to us.

“We never thought we’d have this day to look forward to.”

South Wales Argus: SWA_CT_9.10.06 RAGOUT MEGAN FISHER (37469919)

FRONT PAGE: How the Argus reported Megan Fisher's fight for life after falling in a lake