Thomas Sumner Rettberg

Utah Highway Patrol — Salt Lake City, UT

Accident Veteran →

End of Watch February 11, 2000

Age 58

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 147 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 15

Incident

Lieutenant Thomas Rettberg was killed when the OH-58 Bell helicopter he was piloting crashed during a routine maintenance flight.

The rotor blades seized up during the flight, causing the crash. The helicopter then landed on its side in a field. A mechanic onboard was also killed.

Lieutenant Rettberg was a U.S. Navy veteran. He had served with the Utah Highway Patrol for 25 years, and had been a pilot for 22 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-UT-1F36C2BF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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 Rettberg gave the Utah Highway Patrol 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Utah, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Utah Highway Patrol

Location Salt Lake City, UT

Platform Identity uhp.ut.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 11, 2000

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 58

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Thomas Sumner Rettberg served in the Navy (1958â1962) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Lieutenant Thomas Sumner Rettberg is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In UT, 49 of 138 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 35.5% of this state's fallen. That is 4.5 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Utah Highway Patrol, 9 of 16 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 56.3% of this agency's fallen.

Utah Highway Patrol

of 16 officers

56.3% Accident

UT — Statewide

of 138 officers

35.5% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident