Woman Who Jumped Into Icy River to Save Her Dog Found Months Later, Still Holding Him

What began as an 18th wedding anniversary ended in a tragedy that has left a family (and an entire community) heartbroken.

Image Credits: Amanda Richmond Rogers, Shutterstock

Key Takeaways

• Amanda Richmond Rogers, a 45-year-old nurse from Anchorage, Alaska, went missing after jumping into an icy river in December 2023 while trying to save her dog.
  
• Her body was discovered three months later, and family members shared that she was found still holding her dog, Groot.
  
• Amanda was remembered by loved ones as a devoted mother, wife, and caregiver who spent her life helping others, both at home and through her work as a nurse.
  
• Her story has deeply moved the community, with many honoring her courage, compassion, and the love she showed until the very end.

Amanda Richmond Rogers, a 45 year old nurse from Anchorage, Alaska, went missing on December 23, 2023, after jumping into an icy river while trying to save her dog. Her body was found three months later, and according to her family, she was still holding the dog in her arms.

Image Credits: Amanda Richmond Rogers

Amanda had been walking with her husband, Brian Rogers, along the North Fork of Eagle River, during which one of their two dogs, Groot, fell through the ice.

Brian jumped in the river to find the dog but was forced back to the surface when he couldn’t find him. Moments later Amanda jumped in.

“I knew from the look on her face she was going in,” Brian later told local media. He tried to stop her, but once she went under the ice, she disappeared.

Amanda’s body was discovered on March 24 by a passerby near the North Fork trail. Authorities later confirmed her identity. Her sister, Jennifer Richmond, shared that Amanda was found with Groot in her arms.

Image Credits: Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team

 “She really did die a hero,” her family said.

Brian has spoken openly about how much their dogs meant to their family. “Amanda loved her dogs nearly as much as our kids,” he said. “They were our family.” He added that his wife wasn’t risking her life for “just a dog,” but for someone she loved.

Amanda and Brian shared four sons, Leif, Liam, August, and Bodhi, who have since spoken about their mother with honesty, humor, and deep affection.

“Do as Mom did and leave this earth with no regrets,” Leif said during a celebration of life held earlier this year. Her other son, Liam, described her as someone so special that “God couldn’t wait any longer to see her in heaven.”

Image Credits: Amanda Richmond Rogers

Bodhi, their youngest, said his mother would always choose her family above everything else. “She would take Dad, her sons and her dogs over anything in the world,” he shared.

After Amanda went missing, search and rescue teams spent days looking for her before officially ending the search at the end of December. In the months that followed, her family, friends, and coworkers found ways to honor her life rather than focus only on the loss. 

Amanda worked as an emergency room and pediatric hospice nurse, a role that defined much of who she was. In her memory, her fellow nurses held a Nightingale ceremony which is a tribute reserved for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

Image Credits: Hospice of Anchorage

Those closest to her say that choosing love was simply who Amanda was. And that is how she will be remembered.

It’s stories like these that bring people together and remind us of what truly matters. Small moments of care, empathy, and love can leave a lasting impact – not just on those involved, but on everyone who hears them.

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