Samuel B. Buntrock

Idaho Department of Fish and Game — Boise, ID

Accident

End of Watch May 29, 1974

Age 27

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Conservation Officer Samuel Buntrock was killed in an airplane crash near Montpelier while conducting an elk survey in the Caribou National Forest. He and two members of the United States Forest Service were in a Cessna 182 that had taken off from Pocatello in the morning. A search was initiated after the plane failed to return. The wreckage was located in a canyon near Montpelier later in the afternoon. Officer Buntrock, the pilot, and both Forest Service employees were killed in the crash. Officer Buntrock had served with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by two aunts, four uncles, and cousins.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-ID-9B0F25A8
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.
Conservation Officer Buntrock gave the Idaho Department of Fish and Game 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Boise community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Conservation Officer Buntrock.

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

Agency

Department Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Location Boise, ID

Platform Identity idahcons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 29, 1974

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Conservation Officer Samuel B. Buntrock 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 ID, 21 of 71 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.6% of this state's fallen. That is 1.4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 2 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game

of 5 officers

40% Accident

ID — Statewide

of 71 officers

29.6% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident