On February 20, 1928 the Placer County Sheriff’s Office lost one of its most famous law men when Deputy Frank H. “Big Dip” Dependener was killed in a traffic accident while returning from a raid on an illegal liquor operation in the Roseville area. The vehicle in which Big Dip was a passenger collided with another vehicle and rolled down a 25-foot embankment, coming to rest upside down. Big Dip suffered a broken neck and died instantly. Placer County Sheriff Elmer Gum and Loomis Constable A.A. Pillard, who were also in the vehicle, suffered major injuries but survived.

Big Dip’s funeral was one of the largest ever held in Placer County and was attended by individuals from all over California.

A friend and colleague, Sacramento Police Captain Ed Brown, described him as “one of the best- known, best-liked and most feared men in public service.”