A Missouri Water Patrol officer who lost his life in the line of duty during the Missouri River floods of 2011 will be remembered in a permanent way.

Family, friends and fellow officers gathered Friday to remember Fred Guthrie Jr, as a section of highway was formally renamed in his honor.

Guthrie and his dog Reed were swept away by floodwaters near Big Lake in Holt County on August 1, 2011.

The Fred Guthrie Memorial Highway stretches along I-29 from Missouri 273 near Tracy to Route E near Camden Point.

Representative Nick Marshall, who sponsored the bill to rename the highway, said the change is “a humblee expression of the gratitude” of the entire state.