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Otis John Whan
Agency patch
Investigator

Otis John Whan

Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement — Springfield, IL
Accident
United States flag Illinois flag
End of Watch January 16, 1951
Age 38
The Vigil Panel 87 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 12

Incident

Investigator Otis Whan drowned when the vehicle he was riding in broke through river ice and became submerged. Investigator Whan was conducting checks of commercial fishing operations on the Mississippi River north of New Boston in Mercer County and had gone onto the 16-inch thick ice to check a group of fisherman who had driven their vehicles onto the river. After conducting the checks, the men offered to drive Investigator Whan back to his service vehicle. As their vehicle was driven over a layer of ice that was only two inches thick, the ice gave way causing the vehicle to become submerged some 14 feet below the river's surface, drowning all its occupants.

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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Investigator Whan served with the Illinois Department of Conservation.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Whan.

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

Agency

Department Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement
Type Federal Agency
Location Springfield, Sangamon County, IL
Platform Identity idcdlecons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1951
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Otis is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1951, 70 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 48th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Otis was 38. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 7.7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement has 13 officers remembered here, Otis among them.

Across the years

Investigator Otis John Whan

Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement · End of Watch January 16, 1951

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-E

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