The Adventures of Onyx and The Saginaw River Ice Rescuers

Publisher: Ensign Benson Books LLC

Hogan and Onyx are training at the Coast Guard's National Ice Rescue School in Essexville, Michigan, when their instructor receives an urgent call about a snowmobiler who has fallen through the ice. There is no time to waste, and Hogan, Onyx, and the rest of the trainees must get to work right away. When the Coasties reach the man in distress, it is clear that he is suffering from hypothermia. The team must act quickly. But the spring ice is too thin, and when Hogan tries to reach the man, the ice beneath him gives way. The ice is too weak to support Hogan or any of the other Coasties, except for one—Onyx the miracle dog!

Tyler Benson is from St. Louis, Michigan.  He has served in the United States Coast Guard for more than 18 years.  He began writing short stories about his search and rescue adventures in the Coast Guard to educate his three young daughters about what Daddy does when he goes on duty for 48 hours at a time.  He wanted his daughters to learn the importance of service to their country and helping those in need.  To help his daughters better understand his job, Tyler wrote the stories featuring his real station's morale dog, Onyx.  These stories soon evolved into a dream.  This dream would be a tribute and a way to bring recognition to all who serve or have served in the United States Coast Guard.  Tyler is still currently serving in the United States Coast Guard in Highlands, New Jersey, where he lives with his wife, Kristy, and four children.

David Geister is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based artist who specializes in historical art, picture book illustrations and landscape paintings.  He has illustrated over a dozen children's books including, The Adventures of Onyx series, B is for Battlecry, and Surviving the Hindenburg, to name a few.