Chester Lewis Larson
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Chester Lewis Larson

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch January 20, 1969
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Chester Larson drowned while attempting to rescue stranded hikers from Sespe Creek, near Sespe Hot Springs Camp, in Los Padres Nationa Forest.

He and 10 other victims, including a U.S. Navy Seabee and U.S. Forest Service ranger, were washed off of the top of a stranded rescue tractor. Only one of the victims was rescued.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Coast Guard. One record, 2 gates. Chester is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Larson served with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Ventura community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Larson.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Ventura, Ventura County, CA
Platform Identity vcso.ventura.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1969
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Chester Lewis Larson served in the U.S. Coast Guard (1953–1957) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Accident

Chester is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1969, 62 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 70th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Chester was 34. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 7.7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Ventura County Sheriff's Office has 13 officers remembered here, Chester among them.

VI

Where

Deputy Sheriff Chester Lewis Larson

Ventura County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch January 20, 1969

Military Service

Chester Lewis Larson served in the U.S. Coast Guard (1953–1957) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Chester Lewis Larson’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 56-E

Also Remembered

salute.nw →

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