Lewis Wayne Wahl
Agency patch
Chief Deputy Sheriff

Lewis Wayne Wahl

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch April 28, 1985
Age 38
Tour of Duty 8 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 129 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief Deputy Wayne Wahl drowned while attempting to rescue a man whose car had been washed into a creek on Highway 163 near Highway 137. Tornadoes and a 24-hour storm hit northern Texas, causing flooding throughout the area. During the search and rescue mission, Chief Deputy Wahl tied a rope around his waist and attempted to reach a stranded vehicle but was sucked underwater into a 36-inch culvert. His body was found three miles north of Ozona. Chief Deputy Wahl was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had been with the Crockett County Sheriff's Office for 8.5 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-D064DDC3
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. Lewis 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.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Wahl gave the Crockett County Sheriff's Office 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ozona 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

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Ozona, Crockett County, TX
Platform Identity ccso.crockett.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 28, 1985
Tour of Duty 8 yrs 6 mo
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Lewis Wayne Wahl served in the U.S. Army (1968–1970) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Chief Deputy Sheriff Lewis Wayne Wahl 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 TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Crockett County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Accident
TX — Statewide
657
of 2,421 officers
27.1% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lewis Wayne Wahl's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Lewis Wayne Wahl Compares

Age at Death
38
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
8.5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Lewis Wayne Wahl is highlighted in Apr.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Military Service

Lewis Wayne Wahl served in the U.S. Army (1968–1970) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Lewis Wayne Wahl’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 Crockett County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.