Roll of Honor
Beau W. Sauselein
Incident
Location: Florida Incident Date: Monday, June 8, 1981
Refuge Officer Beau Sauselein was killed in a wildfire on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, two miles south of the NASA industrial area at State Road 3 and Kennedy Parkway.
Officer Sauselein and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biological technician were clearing fire lanes with a bulldozer as part of fire suppression activities when a squall with high winds and lightning suddenly hit the area, igniting additional fires. Both men abandoned the bulldozer and attempted to outrun the flames. Additional firefighters who responded to the area located them a few hundred yards from the bulldozer suffering severe burns.
They were both transported to Jess Parrish Memorial Hospital where the technician died of his injuries. Officer Sauselien was flown to Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, where he died the following morning.
Officer Sauselein had served with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for six years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-A3079665- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- 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. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Beau is one person.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Refuge Officer Sauselein gave the United States Department of the Interior 6 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Refuge Officer Sauselein.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Beau W. Sauselein served in the U.S. Air Force (1969â1973) before joining law enforcement.
Refuge Officer Beau W. Sauselein is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In VA, 204 of 656 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 31.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At United States Department of the Interior - Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, 4 of 10 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Beau W. Sauselein's cause is highlighted.
How Beau W. Sauselein Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Beau W. Sauselein is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Military Service
Beau W. Sauselein served in the U.S. Air Force (1969–1973) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Beau W. Sauselein’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
9 officers from United States Department of the Interior - Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Refuge Law Enforcement are honored on badge.nw.
