An Alaskan mother of four is believed to have died after she went missing while swimming under the ice of a frozen river to rescue her dog, which fell during a hike she took with her husband on their anniversary.
Amanda Richmond Rogers, 45, and her husband, Brian Rogers, were walking their two dogs along the North Fork Eagle River trail near Anchorage on Saturday, their 18th birthday, when tragedy struck.
One of their dogs, Groot, suddenly fell through the ice while trying to drink water through a hole – prompting Brian to jump in to save the dog, the Alaska Daily News reported.
“I thought I saw a flash of a big white paw under the ice. Before I could think, I jumped into the water to save our dog. I held on to the edge of the ice as I frantically ducked under the ice reaching into the darkness trying to feel and grab our dog. I didn’t feel anything,” Brian said in a statement released by the family.
When he emerges from the freezing water after failing to locate Groot, he sees his wife, an emergency room nurse, jump in in a desperate attempt to find their pet.
“I turned around and Amanda was going into the water. I knew from the look on his face he was going in to save our dog,” continued Brian.
He said she yelled at him but he probably didn’t hear her as he swam under the ice and out of sight.
“Amanda loves her dogs almost as much as our children, they are our family,” he wrote, adding that his wife “didn’t jump in to save ‘just a dog,’ it was a member of the family. For me and our 4 boys, he died as a hero.”
The Alaska Diving Search, Rescue and Recovery Team, the Solstice Search and Rescue K9 Team and the Alaska Wildlife Team launched a rescue effort, KTUU reported.
Mother-of-four Amanda Richmond Rogers, 45, is presumed dead after plunging into a frozen river to try and save her beloved dog, who fell while she and her husband, Brian, were hiking on their wedding anniversary.
Rescuers had to call off the search for the Eagle River woman at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday due to frozen equipment but are expected to resume operations Wednesday.
“We will research and see if there are other areas of interest, [areas] we still have to search, and then make a decision about what kind of search strategy or search tactics we might use tomorrow,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel told KTUU on Tuesday.
Her husband said the hike should be a “special” day for their family.
“It’s the first Christmas we’ve celebrated since Amanda’s father passed away earlier this year. We want to make it special to visit our family and 4 boys,” Brian wrote.
The nurse disappeared after she plunged into the river through a small hole in the ice in a desperate rescue attempt. Rescuers suspended the search due to frozen equipment but are expected to resume operations on Wednesday.
“After spending time with his mother and sister two days before, the 23rd was our day. We got 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 had an amazing time watching the dogs play, playing with the dogs themselves, and admiring the beauty of the Alaskan outdoors during the winter,” she recounts.
Brian said that in addition to being a nurse, his wife also worked as a death scene investigator.
“He enjoyed the outdoors, his family, all animals and adventure. He has touched many people’s lives for the better. I could go on and on and on. She is a beautiful person with a beautiful soul,” he wrote.
Rep. Jamie Allard, who represents the area, wrote about the tragedy’s impact on the close-knit community.
“This incident is a heartbreaking tragedy, and it is deeply saddening for all of us.” Allard wrote in a statement, KTUU reported. “The family’s loss is beyond words, and they have our deepest sympathies at this difficult time. This event is a stark reminder of how quickly things can turn dangerous in the natural environment, especially near our rivers.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
