Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Mark Tonkin was killed in a helicopter accident while working on a multi-agency narcotics task force along the United States border. A suspicious vehicle was spotted in a canyon on a remote access road in the Mountain Springs Grade area. The UH-1H helicopter began to descend when its rotor blades struck power lines and caused it to crash in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains. Also killed in the accident were Investigator Michael Davis of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Roy Chester of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Sergeant Richard Romero of the Imperial County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Mark Tonkin of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the three California National Guard crew members operating the flight. Deputy Tonkin had served with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for seven years.
Survivors
survivors guilt after 37 years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-53BFB294- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Tonkin gave the Orange County Sheriff's Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Santa Ana community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Tonkin.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Mark Steven Tonkin 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 CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Orange County Sheriff's Dept., 4 of 10 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Mark Steven Tonkin's cause is highlighted.
How Mark Steven Tonkin Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Mark Steven Tonkin is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
9 officers from Orange County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
