Amanda Richmond: Alaska mom of four feared dead after vanishing in frozen river during anniversary hike

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA: A 45-year-old- woman from Alaska is feared to have lost her life while trying to save her dog from drowning in a frozen river.

Amanda Richmond Rogers was hiking with her husband and their two dogs on their 18th wedding anniversary when the incident occurred.

How Amanda and Brian Rogers faced the tragedy

Amanda Richmond Rogers, 45, and her husband, Brian Rogers, were walking along the North Fork Eagle River trail near Anchorage on Saturday, 24 December, according to the KTUU.

One of their dogs, Groot, slipped into the water through a hole in the ice and Brian jumped in to rescue him.

In a statement released by the family, he conveyed, "I thought I saw a flash of a big white paw underneath the ice. Before even thinking, I was jumping into the water to save our dog."

"I held onto the edge of the ice as I frantically ducked under the ice reaching into darkness trying to feel and grab our dog. I felt nothing.”

When he emerged from the water, he saw his wife, an emergency room nurse, diving in to look for their pet. He tried to stop her, but she did not hear him.

“I turned around and Amanda was getting into the water. I knew from the look on her face she was going in to save our dog,” he continued.

Amanda loved her dogs as she loved her four children 

He said his wife loved their dogs as much as their four children and that she did not hesitate to risk her life for them.

“Amanda loved her dogs nearly as much as our kids, they were our family,” he wrote.

Brain added in his statement that his wife "did not jump in to save ‘just a dog,’ it was a family member. To me and our 4 boys, she died a hero."

The search and rescue efforts in North Fork Eagle River

The Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team, the Solstice Search and Rescue K9 Team and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers have been searching for Amanda since Saturday.

They had to suspend the search on Tuesday afternoon due to frozen equipment, but they planned to resume it on Wednesday.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel told KTUU on Tuesday, “We will go through and see if there are other areas of interest, [areas] we still need to search, and then make a decision on what type of search strategy or search tactics we might deploy tomorrow.”

The impact on the family and the community of Eagle River

Brian mentioned that the hike was intended to be a "special" day for their family, as it coincided with their anniversary and marked the first Christmas they were celebrating since the passing of Amanda’s father earlier in the year.

“We wanted to make it special for visiting family and our 4 boys,” Brian wrote.

“After spending time with her mother and sister the previous two days, the 23rd was our day.

"We were married on December 23, 2005, making this our 18th anniversary,” he wrote, adding that the couple planned to take their two dogs for a walk.

“We were having an amazing time watching the dogs play, playing with the dogs ourselves, and admiring the beauty of outdoor Alaska during the winter,” he recounted.

He said his wife was not only a nurse but also a death scene investigator.

“She enjoyed the outdoors, her family, all animals, and adventure. She has touched so many people’s lives for the better. I could go on and on and on. She was a beautiful person with a beautiful soul,” he wrote.

Rep Jamie Allard, who represents the area, expressed his condolences to the family and warned of the dangers of the natural environment.

“This incident is a heartbreaking tragedy, and it deeply saddens all of us.” Allard wrote in a statement, as reported by the publication.

“The loss experienced by the family is beyond words, and they have my most heartfelt sympathies in this difficult time.

"This event is a grave reminder of how quickly situations can turn perilous in natural settings, especially near our river.”