A mom enjoying an anniversary walk has tragically vanished after heroically attempting to save her dog from a frozen river.
Amanda Richmond Rogers, a devoted mother of four, disappeared while attempting to rescue her beloved dog, Groot, who had fallen through the icy surface of a river.
TMZ reports that Amanda's husband, Brian Rogers, had courageously leaped into action first to save the canine companion, but when Groot remained missing under the ice, Amanda jumped in after him.
The Rogers were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary and had opted for a celebratory outing along the North Fork Eagle River trail near Anchorage, the New York Post reports.
The crisis unfolded when Groot, one of the family's dogs, inadvertently plunged into the frigid river while attempting to drink water from a precarious opening in the ice. Although Brian dove into the icy waters, he was unable to locate Groot.
In a statement released by the family, Brian recounted the harrowing moment. "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," he said.
Amanda, an emergency room nurse and doting mother then opted to jump into the water after seeing her husband in distress.
"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," Brian added.
Despite yelling for his wife, Amanda did not surface after getting lost under the ice.
"Amanda loved her dogs nearly as much as our kids; they were our family," Brian said. "To me and our 4 boys, she died a hero."
The community has since rallied together in response to this devastating incident. The Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team, the Solstice Search and Rescue K9 Team, and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers have united in a determined rescue effort.
However, adverse conditions have posed formidable challenges, with operations temporarily suspended due to frozen equipment. Despite these setbacks, they are resolute in their mission and intend to resume operations on Wednesday.
"We will go through and see if there’s 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 Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel told KTUU.
The hike was intended to mark a special day for the Rogers family. "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," Brian recounted.
As well as working as a nurse, his wife also works as a death scene investigator.
Rep. Jamie Allard, representing the area, acknowledged the profound impact of this tragedy on the close-knit community. "This incident is a heartbreaking tragedy, and it deeply saddens all of us," Allard expressed in a statement. "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."
Our thoughts are with Rogers' family and loved ones at this time.