Trooper Daniel L. O'Brien, Rhode Island State Police, Rhode Island

Trooper Daniel L. O'Brien

Rhode Island State Police, Rhode Island

End of Watch Tuesday, August 31, 1954

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Daniel L. O'Brien

Trooper Daniel O'Brien drowned while performing rescue operations in East Matunuck during Hurricane Carol.

Trooper O'Brien was near Succotash Road, informing residents of the oceanfront homes to evacuate when rapidly rising water crippled his patrol car. While helping a citizen, a large wave separated the two and washed Trooper O'Brien away.

His abandoned patrol car was found with just the siren sticking out of the water and his body was found lying face down in debris near Post Road in the marsh in East Matunuck.

Trooper O'Brien was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and had served with the Rhode Island State Police for three years. He was survived by his parents, three brothers, one sister, and a fiancee.

He was posthumously awarded the agency's State Police Service Ribbon.

Bio

Age 25
Tour 3 years
Badge 40
Military Veteran

Incident Details

Cause Weather/Natural disaster

hurricane, water rescue, weather

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A better person could never be found! Danny O’Brien was an honest, dedicated person. He was a lifelong Episcopalian and when he was stationed in the Wickford Barracks, we would meet every Sunday morning at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at the 10:00 am service. I have missed him for 70+ years. We had planned to marry in the spring of 1955 and then I would go on to finish college at URI.

Meredith (Merry) Holt was my name then.
Fiancée

January 10, 2025