Saving my dog from a frozen river: how my graphic novel guided me

Through the Ice - Diary Comic

I should mention that while I understand that this looks extremely foolhardy, I am VERY cautious around ice, having grown up living on a lake in Minnesota. But it was very clear to me he would drown if I did nothing, and the ice didn’t look too thin where I would be.

I also took into account that I had my phone, have been doing cold water submersions so I knew what the icy water would feel like, and I didn’t think the river was too deep there. But still, it could’ve gone very differently for both of us. Tragically, I learned later that another dog did drown that same day at that park after falling through the ice.

So keep your dogs close when near ice—or avoid those areas like we will be in the future.

The comic that may have saved us

I went back to find the pages of the graphic novel I made over a decade ago which flashed into my head as I made my way onto the ice. It’s called Iron Bound and was never published. You never know when something from your past will come in handy.

It’s interesting to see how my comics skills have progressed over the years!

Stay safe everyone!