Carl Richard Talafous

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service — Washington, DC

Accident Veteran

End of Watch July 14, 1993

Age 40

The Vigil Panel 139 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 93

Incident

Pilot Rick Talafous was killed in a helicopter crash along with two other U.S. Customs Service agents and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent. The Sikorsky UH-60A they were in struck high-tension power lines 82 feet above the Altamaha River near Hortense, Georgia, as the agents searched for clandestine airstrips and marijuana grow operations. Pilot Talafous was a United States Air Force veteran.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-7217867C
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Pilot Talafous served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 14, 1993

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Carl Richard Talafous served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Pilot Carl Richard Talafous is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 44 of 94 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 46.8% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service

of 94 officers

46.8% Accident

DC — Statewide

454

of 1,419 officers

32% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident