Body of mother-of-four, 45, who went missing in Alaska on her anniversary when she jumped into freezing water to rescue her dog is FINALLY found FOUR MONTHS later with the pet wrapped in her arms

The body of an Alaska mother-of-four who went missing after jumping into a river to save her dog has been found, more than four months after her disappearance.

The family of Amanda Richmond Rogers, 45, told KTUU that officials recovered her body from the Eagle River on Sunday. Her dog, Groot, was frozen in her arms.

Rogers, an emergency room and hospice nurse, vanished on December 23 after leaping into frigid waters to rescue the dog after he fell through the ice.

The 45-year-old and her husband, Brian, a doctor, had been taking a walk through the frosty wilderness on the day of their 18th wedding anniversary.

Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team combed the waters for the mother-of-four, aided by Alaska Solstice Search Dogs.

The remains of Amanda Richmond Rogers, 45, were recovered Sunday, over four months after she disappeared in a frigid river

The Alaska woman was out hiking with her husband, Brian, in celebration of their 18th wedding anniversary when their dog stopped to drink from the river and fell through the ice

The mother-of-four began to swim downstream after her beloved pet vanished. She was found with his body in her arms

'They told me that any one of them would've made the same decision to rescue one of their fur babies,' sister Jennifer Richmond said.

The desperate search came to an end on Sunday, when Anchorage Police were notified of a deceased person's remains near the North Fork Trailhead.

Rogers' body was pulled from the water and taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death.

The discovery of her remains was another pang in the heart for family members who already had to come to terms with her loss months earlier.

As friends and loved ones waited for the news with bated breath, many had already accepted that they would never see her again.

'Miss you Amanda and always will,' Rogers' aunt, Susie Harris, wrote on Facebook in January.

'My beautiful niece who had a heart of gold and love of all things. We will miss her so very much. Our hearts are broken.'

Marissa Painter learned of the discovery of her close friend's remains on Wednesday. 'Thank God she was found, holding Groot,' she said.

In an earlier social media post, Painter described having an 'instant connection' to Amanda, whom she deemed a 'soul sister.' The pair first connected when Amanda wanted to adopt a Goldendoodle puppy.

'We kept in contact with pictures and messages, checked in on each other because we knew our family lives were busy with kids and households, talked about our families getting together in the summers for adventures,' Painter said.

'We were supposed to go on a trip this past summer, but her adventures called her to some trail clearing instead, so we postponed.

'Let me tell you, make those trips happen somehow because you never know when things will change and you won’t ever get to take them.'

Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team searched for Rogers with assistance from Alaska Solstice Search Dogs

Anchorage Police were notified of the discovery of her remains on Sunday. Her body was taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine her cause of death

Rogers' sister, Jennifer, extended her gratitude to the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team for their relentless work to find the mother-of-four

Brian, a doctor, explained how the couple lay down to rest in a scenic area as Groot attempted to drink from an opening in the ice and fell in

Jennifer Rogers extended her profound gratitude to the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team at the end of January for their efforts to find her beloved sister Mandy.

'I have no words for their love, commitment and compassion,' she wrote.

'Whether it’s for my sister, or just for the love, you won’t find a more dedicated team. From the depths of our broken hearts, thank you.'

The mother-of-four's husband of nearly two decades penned a moving tribute just days after she vanished underwater, recalling the day his life changed forever.  

He explained that he and Rogers were busy decorating the house and wrapping presents for Christmas. It marked the first holiday they were celebrating since the death of Rogers' father earlier that year.

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

'We were married on December 23, 2005, making this our 18th anniversary. We planned to take two of our dogs for a walk, go on a date, and spend the night at the Hotel Captain Cook. It was a beautiful day.'

He explained that the couple chose to hike at the North Fork of Eagle River trailhead, which was 'one of Amanda's favorites.'

Growing tired from trekking through the snow, they stopped to rest at a scenic area along the water. 

When their dog Groot attempted to drink from a small opening in the ice, 'no more than about 18 inches wide,' he fell through. 'Before even thinking,' Brian jumped in after him. 

'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.

When he ran out of breath and returned to shore, he turned around to see Rogers getting in the water. 

'I knew from the look on her face she was going in to save our dog,' he wrote. 'She is an emergency room nurse, trained to help and save people. In this situation, she was going to save our dog.'

Brian shouted after her, and before he could restrain her, Rogers began swimming downstream under the ice and vanished.

'To anyone wondering why we would jump in to save our dog I can only answer, our instincts took over and we went in without thought,' he said. 'Amanda loved her dogs nearly as much as our kids, they were our family.

'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.'

He detailed Rogers' love of dogs and wrote, 'To me and our four boys she died a hero'

Rogers (pictured with her late father) was honored at a memorial ceremony in March, where she was officially relieved of her nursing duties

He described his beloved wife as 'an amazing mother' to 'four tremendous children.' 

'She worked as an emergency room nurse, a death scene investigator and a pediatric hospice nurse but the job she excelled at was mom,' Brian said.

'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.'

Crowds packed into the Eagle River High School gymnasium in March to honor the doting mother-of-four.

Registered nurse Christine Dittrich rang a triangle as part of the Nightingale Tribute, a ceremony used to honor a fallen nurse. 'We officially release you of your nursing duties,' she said.

Rogers' four sons spoke during the memorial as well.

'Mom was such a unique, special person that God couldn’t wait any longer to see her in heaven, and I don’t blame him,' 17-year-old Liam said.  

Ten-year-old Bodhi recalled how his mother 'would take dad, her sons and her dogs over anything in the world.' 

August, 15, said the ceremony 'would bring tears to her eyes because we won’t look at how much time we didn’t get with her, but all the time we did.'

Rogers' eldest son, Leif Thurmond, 24, encouraged attendees to follow in her footsteps 'and leave this earth with no regrets.'

A memorial fund in Rogers' name has been set up for Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team as well as Alaska Solstice Search Dogs.