Virgil Mason
Agency patch
Sheriff

Virgil Mason

Cardiac
End of Watch December 2, 1978
The Vigil Panel 120 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sheriff Mason suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to rescue several miners who had been trapped in a mine during a severe snowstorm.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CO-83DCA379
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Mason served with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Silverton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Mason.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Silverton, San Juan County, CO
Platform Identity sjcso.sanjuan.co.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 2, 1978
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Sheriff Virgil Mason is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In CO, 11 of 360 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.1% of this state's fallen. That is 3.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

San Juan County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Cardiac
CO — Statewide
11
of 360 officers
3.1% Cardiac
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Virgil Mason's cause is highlighted.

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

How Virgil Mason Compares

When Cardiac Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Virgil Mason is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
124
Feb
105
Mar
99
Apr
116
May
115
Jun
95
Jul
94
Aug
104
Sep
109
Oct
121
Nov
113
Dec
111

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from San Juan County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.