Georgia DNR Sgt. Ben Cunningham Dies While on Duty in Rome
ROME– Georgia Department of Natural Resources Sgt. Ben Cunningham died following a possible medical episode while on duty in Rome. The agency said he was participating in a Law Enforcement Division physical fitness program.
Cunningham spent 27 years with DNR. Most recently, he supervised game wardens serving Floyd, Chattooga, Walker, and Dade counties. The agency has not announced a confirmed cause of death.
A Career of Service and Training
Cunningham joined DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division in August 1999. Later, he transferred to the Law Enforcement Division in December 2006. He became a corporal in 2017, and DNR promoted him to sergeant in March 2021.
He also helped train new game wardens. At the Game Warden Academy, he taught cadets about firearms and wildlife. In addition, he mentored wardens as a field training officer. He also instructed other field training officers and served on DNR’s Peer Support Team.
Cunningham contributed to statewide succession training as well.
Agency records offer examples of his work in Northwest Georgia. In May 2017, Cunningham and another DNR officer visited Pepperell Primary School in Lindale. There, they taught second graders about boating and water safety.
The same DNR report also documents his assistance in a Coosa River search in Rome. The report says the missing person was found safe on land.
A later DNR annual report records Cunningham’s help following a tornado in Troup County.
DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon called Cunningham “a friend and a valued member of the DNR family.” The department also recalled his pride in the game wardens he supervised. Rabon offered condolences to Cunningham’s wife, Starr, his daughter, Addy, and the rest of his family.
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