Conservation Officer Charles Gilbert Porter, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah

Conservation Officer Charles Gilbert Porter

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah

End of Watch Saturday, May 2, 1970

Charles Gilbert Porter

Officer Porter was struck and killed by a train while checking fishing licenses along the Weber River near Stoddard, Utah. He moved from one set of tracks to another set as a train approached. As a result of the noise of the train, he did not hear another train approaching from the opposite direction on the set of tracks he just stepped onto. He was struck by the oncoming Union Pacific Railroad train.

Officer Porter had served with the Division of Wildlife Resources for 20 years. He was survived by his wife, four daughters, two sons, and 13 grandchildren.

Bio

Age 59
Tour 20 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Struck by train

Most Recent Reflection

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Officer Porter, "Gil", was one of the hardest working, honest officers I ever had the pleasure of knowing. While still a youth in the 1950's, I and my older brother were checked by Gil many times out in the duck marshes from Farmington Bay to Howard's Slough along the Great Salt Lake. One of the most enjoyable surprises came when my brother and I were camping and fishing in the China Meadows area of the northern slope of the Uintas, and we were checked by none other than Gil. He was one of the inspirations for me to go into law enforcement, and, in 2008, after 42 years in that career, I retired as the Captain of our local Sheriff's Office. I will always remember Gil for his honesty, hard work ethics, and his friendly smiles when he made his contacts. He and another close friend, Don Jensen, a Deputy with the Davis County (UT) S.O. who was also killed in the line of duty, in 1971, will always be in my memory as two truly fine officers and examples of courage, courtesy, and dedication to service.

Captain (Ret) Walter S. Okamoto
Retired Special Agent, Retired Deputy

February 14, 2014