Rodney Badger
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Rodney Badger

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office — Salt Lake City, UT
Accident
End of Watch April 29, 1853
Age 30
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Rodney Badger drowned while attempting to rescue a family who had fallen into the Weber River. He had been sent to the river to help pioneers cross the water during the winter. As one of the families crossed, their wagon overturned and a mother and six children fell into the water. Deputy Badger immediately dove in and was able to rescue the mother and four children. As he swam back out to rescue the two remaining children he was overtaken with the cold and exhaustion and went under. His body wasn't recovered until November 1854.

Survivors

Deputy Badger was survived by his wife and four children.

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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Tributes

173 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Badger gave the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Salt Lake City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT
Platform Identity slcso.saltlake.ut.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 29, 1853
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Rodney is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1853, 3 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 150th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Rodney was 30. 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. Rodney had served 3 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 15.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office has 10 officers remembered here, Rodney among them.

VI

Where

Deputy Sheriff Rodney Badger

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch April 29, 1853

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 2-E

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