Bodies of woman, child recovered from Matanuska River

PALMER — Rescue teams rushed to the Matanuska River at the Old Glenn Highway Tuesday night after a report that a woman and a child had fallen into the water.

The bodies of Amanda Lange, 29, and Gabriel Lange, 5, both of Anchorage, were recovered late Tuesday night, according to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch posted Wednesday morning.

One body was recovered about a mile past the point of entry, AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said in an email Wednesday morning, and the other body was recovered about a mile-and-a-half past where they fell in.

Trooper Brent Johnson said at the scene Tuesday night, the woman and child reportedly fell into the river upstream from the bridge at the Old Glenn Highway near Palmer.

“They had been seen drifting down stream,” Johnson said.

The initial report was made at 9:05 p.m. The second body was removed from the water at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday.

According to the AST dispatch, investigation shows the child was playing in the water when somehow he got into deeper water. Amanda Lange went to attempt to rescue the 5-year-old, according to troopers, and both were swept away by the river current. Peters said bystanders witnessed the incident and called 911.

The Palmer Police Department, Alaska State Troopers, Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services and Mat-Su Borough Water Rescue Team all responded to the scene.

Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz contributed to this story.