Chester Larson
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Chester Larson

Accident
End of Watch January 20, 1969
Age 34
The Vigil Panel 105 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Chester Larson drowned while attempting to rescue stranded hikers from Sespe Creek, near Sespe Hot Springs Camp, in Los Padres Nationa Forest.

He and 10 other victims, including a U.S. Navy Seabee and U.S. Forest Service ranger, were washed off of the top of a stranded rescue tractor. Only one of the victims was rescued.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-CD2468B9
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 Larson served with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Ventura community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Larson.

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

Agency

Location Ventura, CA
Platform Identity vcso.ventura.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1969
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Chester Larson 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 Ventura County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.1% of this agency's fallen.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office
3
of 13 officers
23.1% Accident
CA — Statewide
719
of 1,837 officers
39.1% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Chester Larson's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Chester Larson Compares

Age at End of Watch
34
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Chester Larson is highlighted in Jan.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location