Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Robert Rigoni, Deputy Sheriff Bruce Mettler of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, and Dispatcher Michael Sweeney of the Put-in-Bay Police Department were killed when the plane they were riding in crashed into Lake Erie. The officers were traveling to assist a police chief on a neighboring island who was suffering a heart attack. All four occupants of the plane were killed in the accident. Sergeant Rigoni was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Port Clinton Police Department for nine years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-5DD0506E- 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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Robert 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.
Sergeant Rigoni gave the Port Clinton Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Port Clinton 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
Robert B. Rigoni served in the U.S. Navy (1966â1970) before joining law enforcement.
Sergeant Robert B. Rigoni 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 32.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert B. Rigoni's cause is highlighted.
How Robert B. Rigoni Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert B. Rigoni is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Military Service
Robert B. Rigoni served in the U.S. Navy (1966–1970) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Robert B. Rigoni’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 Port Clinton Police Department are honored on badge.nw.