Mother Of Four Disappears While Attempting To Save Drowning Dog From River

• On the 18th anniversary of her marriage to Brian Rogers, 45-year-old Amanda Richmond Rogers, and her dog Groot were out on a walk north of Anchorage
• Groot stopped to take a drink and then tumbled into the frozen Eagle River through a small breach in the ice, followed by Amanda and Brian
• For the first Christmas since Amanda Richmond Rogers's father's passing earlier this year, family members were making their way to the family's nearby house

Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

The search for the body of an Alaskan mother-of-four who disappeared while trying to save her drowning dog by plunging beneath the ice of a frozen river will resume at first light.

Daily Mail reported that on December 23, the 18th anniversary of her marriage to Brian Rogers, 45-year-old Amanda Richmond Rogers and her dog Groot were out on a walk north of Anchorage.

Groot stopped to take a drink and then tumbled into the frozen Eagle River through a small breach in the ice, followed by Amanda and Brian.

"She did not jump in to save 'just a dog'; it was a family member. To me and our four boys, she died a hero," Rogers, 49, said in a statement.

Where were Amanda, Rodgers, and Groot headed

For the first Christmas since her father's passing earlier this year, family members were making their way to the family's nearby house.

Along the North Fork Eagle River Trailhead, the pair had stopped in on friends and, according to Rogers, were having an "amazing time" in one of Amanda's favourite spots.

However, their happiness was short-lived as they hurried over the ice after their cherished Irish Wolfhound fell through the opening.

How the rescue mission will be conducted

Since the early hours of Saturday afternoon, the search has been assisted by Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Alaska State Troopers, the state's Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team, and the Solstice Search.

Underwater drones, sonar equipment, and specialised rescue dogs will be used when the search continues on Wednesday. Some rescuers were forced to cease operations early on Tuesday due to equipment freezing in the harsh Arctic cold.

The family has experienced a devastating occurrence, and Austin McDaniel of the Alaska State Troopers said:

"Our thoughts are with them, especially with the closeness of the Christmas holiday."

The couple met when they were both working as medics in Texas but made their permanent home in Alaska when Rogers was deployed there by the Air Force.

"Amanda loved her dogs nearly as much as our kids; they were our family. We have a room in our house dedicated to the memory of all our previous dogs. We have tattoos of our dog's paws," Rodgers added.

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that the family of Mark Kipkemboi managed to get the body of their kin a couple of days after he drowned in River Nzoia.

How did Mark Kipkemboi meet his death

Kipkemboi was behind the wheel of a lorry when it plunged into the river in his bid to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle at the bridge between Kakamega and Bungoma.

The accident occurred on Monday, December 4.