MISSOULA — On Feb. 21 last year, Danit Ehrlich and her dog, Bamba, went missing after stopping at Jacobs Island Dog Park on the way to Seattle.
Nearly three weeks later, her body was recovered after an extensive search.
Over a year after her death, Ehrlich’s family gathered in Missoula to unveil a memorial.
"Time to start moving towards living again," her brother, Oren Ehrlich, said.
Danit Ehrlich would have been 35 on June 1, 2026.
"Danit drowned in this river, and that's a pretty terrible day to us. So, to have a commemoration on the day of her death kind of seemed like pretty dark and dismal. So, you know, we thought it'd be nicer to celebrate her life on her birthday," Oren said.
The Ehrlich family came from Florida and elsewhere, joining local law enforcement, Parks and Recreation staff and friends for the unveiling of a memorial for their daughter.
"Family is blood, but family is also chosen. So, it's nice to come back to some of our chosen family here in Missoula," Oren said.
"To thank everybody in person. It's really an honor," her mother, Bunny Ehrlich, said.
The bench honors Danit Ehrlich and her dog, Bamba. Her family also hopes it serves as a reminder of her death so the river does not claim more lives.
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"I know the locals might know, but the foreigners like Danit, she was passing by. She was on the way to Washington state and she just didn't know how dangerous the river is. So, I hope this will bring awareness to whoever comes here," her father, Simon Ehrlich, told MTN.
Through their grieving, the family wants to see changes that make the dog park safer for people and pets.
"Mostly some kind of awareness, signage, better signage, however they can do it, even right at the front. Big red sign, especially during the winter. In honor of her more than anything else, that safety will be enforced," Bunny said.
