Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Dean Ridings was killed in a boating accident while conducting marine patrol on Lake Anna with another deputy.
The boat encountered a large wake, causing it to turn sideways. Deputy Ridings struck his head inside of the boat, and his partner was thrown overboard.
Other boaters assisted his partner out of the water and back onto the patrol boat, which he immediately returned to shore. Both deputies were transported to Mary Washington Hospital, where Deputy Ridings succumbed to his injuries.
Deputy Ridings was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office for six years. Survivors include his wife, two sons, and three grandchildren. At the time of his passing, both of his sons served as deputies with the agency.
Survivors
Survivors include his wife, two sons, and three grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-6F115954- 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. Marine Corps, salute.nw. One record, 3 gates. Dean 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.
Deputy Sheriff Ridings gave the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Spotsylvania community. Thank you 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
Dean Ridings served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1976â1977) before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Sheriff Dean Ridings 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 Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dean Ridings's cause is highlighted.
How Dean Ridings Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Dean Ridings is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Military Service
Dean Ridings served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1976–1977) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Dean Ridings’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
