Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Dale Nelson died after being exposed to lethal doses of methane while attempting to rescue a father and son who had also become overtaken by the methane gas in a concrete manure pit on Roberts Dairy Farm along State Route 12. All three men fell face first into the manure and drowned. Another man who entered the pit with Sheriff Nelson was also overcome by the fumes but was rescued after falling with his face up. Sheriff Nelson was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors
He had served with the Beaver County Sheriff's Office for 14 years and was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-UT-85CE9AB3- 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. Dale is one person.
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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.
Sheriff Nelson gave the Beaver County Sheriff's Office 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Beaver community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Dale E. Nelson served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Sheriff Dale E. Nelson is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In UT, 49 of 138 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 35.5% of this state's fallen. That is 35.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dale E. Nelson's cause is highlighted.
How Dale E. Nelson Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Dale E. Nelson is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Military Service
Dale E. Nelson served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Visit Dale E. Nelson’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Beaver County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.