Roll of Honor
Frank Rankin Jr.
Incident
Lieutenant Frank Rankin drowned in the Klamath River as he and an inmate from the Yreka Work Camp, in Siskiyou County, attempted to string an aerial TV antenna across the river.
The two were using a guide rope to pull their boat across the turbulent river. The bow of the boat went under water, which caused the boat to immediately capsize. Lieutenant Rankin and the inmate were both thrown into the water. The inmate was able to swim to shore but Lieutenant Rankin was washed downstream. His body was recovered several weeks later 100 miles downstream of where the boat capsized.
Lieutenant Rankin had served with the California Department of Corrections for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and five children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-B0183E48- 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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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.
Lieutenant Rankin gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. 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
Frank Rankin Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Lieutenant Frank Rankin Jr. 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 CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 7 of 42 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frank Rankin Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Frank Rankin Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Frank Rankin Jr. is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Military Service
Frank Rankin Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit Frank Rankin Jr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
41 officers from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
