Robert B. Bell

Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission — Tallahassee, FL

Accident

End of Watch September 19, 1942

Age 60

The Vigil Panel 79 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Deputy Game Warden Robert Bell drowned after his boat capsized on the upper Choctawhatchee Bay near the Cowford Bridge in Walton County around 10:45 a.m.

When the boat overturned, Deputy Game Warden Bell held onto the side while another game warden swam to shore to get help. Before he reached the shore, he heard screams for help. When he turned to look, he saw Deputy Game Warden Bell slip into the water. Deputy Game Warden Bell's body was recovered six hours later.

Deputy Game Warden Bell had served as a marshal of Defuniak Springs before his appointment as a game warden.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three sons, and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-DE976071
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 Game Warden Bell served with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Thank you for your service to the Tallahassee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Game Warden Bell.

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

Agency

Department Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fgfwfc.leon.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 19, 1942

Age 60

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Game Warden Robert B. Bell 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 FL, 313 of 1,008 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 0.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 10 of 15 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission

of 15 officers

66.7% Accident

FL — Statewide

313

of 1,008 officers

31.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident