UPDATE: As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, both dogs have been picked up by their owner, Bay County Animal Control confirms.

BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI — An icy dip in the slushy Kawkawlin River could have ended a lot worse for two dogs if not for the efforts of a vigilant man.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Monday, March 11, 37-year-old Scott Garrison was working his shift as a bartender at Castaways, 3940 Boy Scout Road in Bangor Township, when a coworker noticed two wayward dogs, a white Malamute and a tan pit bull mix, walking on the frozen river.

“We were inside working and one of the girls I work with noticed a couple of dogs out roaming around on the river,” Garrison said. “All of the sudden, she said, ‘Oh my God, one fell in.’ Basically, I just ran out the door and ran down to the bridge there that goes over the river. By the time I was just getting to the other side of the river, both dogs were in the water. They were kind of bobbing up and down and struggling, so I just jumped in.”

The male pit bull was the first to crash through the ice and the first Garrison was able to latch onto.

“The white one started to swim away from me, and I had to swim after him and grab him,” Garrison said.

Garrison managed to hoist both dogs onto a thicker ice sheath. Another person from Castaways brought out a ladder and extended it to the sheath Garrison and the dogs sat upon, which Garrison estimated was 10 to 12 feet from the bank.

One by one, Garrison carried the dogs from the river to the shore. “I sort of scooted myself on the ladder,” he said.

Garrison made a makeshift leash out of his belt and tethered it to one of the dogs. A group of middle-school-aged kids gathered on the shore and were about to jump in as well, but Garrison yelled for them to stay where they were and to just toss him one of their belts, with which he used to tie around the second dog.

Back on solid ground, Garrison took the dogs toward the rear of Castaways and called the number on the animals’ tags. Unable to get answer, he called Bay County Animal Control, and officers came to pick up the animals.

The frozen Kawkawlin River with Castaways in the background.

Mike Halstead, Animal Control director, said the dogs’ licenses are expired, but their owners have been identified and notified. Halstead said they plan to retrieve their dogs but may receive tickets for having unlicensed animals.

The director lauded Garrison for his swift action.

“We appreciate the fact the guy got them out of the river for their safety,” he said.

Garrison, who describes himself as a longtime animal lover, said he didn’t really think about the river’s frigid temperatures before taking the plunge.

“I knew they didn’t have much longer, I knew I had to do something, so I jumped in,” he said. “It was real cold, but I didn’t really notice at the time until I got out.”

While waiting for Animal Control, Garrison said he tried comforting the dogs.

“I just waited there with them until Animal Control came,” he said. “I rubbed and petted them and made sure they were OK. They were OK, but they were definitely freaked out.”

Once the dogs were taken, Garrison didn’t let the experience keep him from working.

“I got in my car, drove back to my house, got a new change of clothes, came back and finished my shift,” he said.

Garrison visited the dogs Tuesday afternoon at Animal Control, both canines appearing overjoyed to see their savior, yelping and clamoring over themselves to be petted by him.