Today marks the anniversary of the death of FWC Officer Kyle Patterson. On June 9th, 2022 he was involved in a crash in St. Lucie County and sadly died as a result of his injuries. Despite his untimely passing, Officer Patterson left a monumental impact on his peers and will be remembered as a conservation hero for wild Florida.
Officer Patterson began his career with FWC in January 2007. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including a Lifesaving Award in 2010, an Exceptional Performance Award in 2015, recognition for his performance during FWC’s response to Hurricanes Irma and Michael, and the 2020 FWC Team of the Year Award.
Perhaps most notably, he was awarded the prestigious 2018 Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Award for his involvement in a sea turtle egg poaching case that led to the arrest of individuals in possession of nearly 500 sea turtle eggs. Our Foundation’s President & CEO Andy Walker was honored to have presented him with this award.
“Investigator Patterson is being honored for his around-the-clock dedication to protecting Florida’s marine resources and the safety of the boating public,” Walker said in 2018. “We’re pleased to recognize his deep commitment to conservation in partnership with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.”
Officer Patterson is survived by his wife and two young children. Following his passing, we provided a gift to his family from our Law Enforcement Officers & Family Support fund. This fund could not be possible without an incredibly generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Garner Koons.
If you are interested in supporting FWC employees in need, consider a donation to our FWC Employee Assistance Fund.
