Larry Rhoden

Polk County Sheriff's Department — Winter Haven, FL

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch October 22, 2001

Age 33

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 149 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 17

Incident

Deputies Larry Rhoden and Brian Wilkinson were killed when their department helicopter crashed into a small pond near Lakeland, Florida at approximately 0200 hours, during a period of dense fog.

Deputy Rhoden was the observer in the Bell OH-58 helicopter. The two deputies were returning from a call when the crash occurred.

Deputy Rhoden had been employed with the Polk County Sheriff's Office for ten years, and is survived by his wife and three sons.

Survivors

Deputy Rhoden had been employed with the Polk County Sheriff's Office for ten years, and is survived by his wife and three sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-5D71C25D
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Larry is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Rhoden gave the Polk County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Winter Haven community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Rhoden.

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

Agency

Department Polk County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Winter Haven, Polk County, FL

Platform Identity pcso.polk.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 22, 2001

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Larry Rhoden served in the U.S. Army (1985â1986) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Larry Rhoden 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 FL, 313 of 1,008 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 Polk County Sheriff's Department, 9 of 18 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Polk County Sheriff's Department

of 18 officers

50% Accident

FL — Statewide

313

of 1,008 officers

31.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident