Christopher Nickel

United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service — Washington, DC

Illness

End of Watch January 29, 2011

Age 54

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

The Vigil Panel 160 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 39

Incident

Park Ranger Chris Nickel passed away while patrolling the Square Tower Ruin Trail at Hovenweep National Monument in San Juan County, Utah.

A hiker discovered Ranger Nickel collapsed on the trail and immediately rushed to the visitor center to request assistance. Paramedics from Colorado, Utah and a medical helicopter from New Mexico responded but Ranger Nickel was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ranger Nickel had served with the National Park Service for 16 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-5CBDBEC3
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.
Park Ranger Nickel gave the United States Department of the Interior 16 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Park Ranger Nickel.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdinpsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 29, 2011

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Park Ranger Christopher Nickel is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 137 of 1,419 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.7% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service, 1 of 40 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service

of 40 officers

2.5% Illness

DC — Statewide

137

of 1,419 officers

9.7% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness