Jaggers had been on life support since the Feb. 27 mission, during which his Astoria-based crew attempted to transport a stroke victim from a commercial vessel more than 120 nautical miles offshore. An investigation into the cause of his injuries is ongoing.
Tyler Jaggers, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer based in Astoria, Oregon, died Thursday evening after sustaining injuries during a medical evacuation mission off the Washington coast, the Coast Guard reported. Before his death, his family carried out a hospital-room marriage proposal on his behalf, and the Coast Guard awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross — one of the military’s highest honors for heroism in flight.
Jaggers had been on life support since Feb. 27, when his Astoria-based crew responded to transport a stroke victim from a commercial vessel approximately 120 nautical miles off the Washington coast, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard said it is conducting an investigation into the cause of his injuries and did not specify what happened, citing the ongoing inquiry.
Rick McElrath, board president and founder of the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Association, said Jaggers fell while being lowered from a helicopter to the vessel’s deck. The association is a nonprofit dedicated to helping Coast Guard aviation veterans.
Jaggers was treated at hospitals in Victoria, British Columbia, and at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle. He died Thursday evening. The Canadian Coast Guard evacuated the stroke victim, McElrath said.
Honors before death
Before Jaggers died, the Coast Guard awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross and promoted him to petty officer 2nd class, with his family and crewmates present.
“He demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of danger, upholding the highest standards of courage and excellence for Coast Guard operations,” Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a statement Friday. “We honor his selfless actions and unwavering devotion to our highest calling: to save others.”
A proposal fulfilled
Jaggers’ partner, Cassandra Weaver, described on social media how she became his fiancée at his hospital bedside, where his father placed a ring on her hand.
“What I didn’t realize was that he had recently told some of his closest buddies that he was getting ready to propose,” Weaver wrote. “So yesterday, surrounded by the people who love him most, his family carried out the proposal on Tyler’s behalf.”
Her post included photos of her hand — with the new engagement ring — holding his, alongside his Coast Guard uniform.
“I always told him I didn’t care if he proposed with a Ring Pop,” she wrote. “I said yes.”
Background
Jaggers joined the Coast Guard in January 2022 and had served in Astoria since 2024. The Department of Homeland Security had previously recognized him for superior performance as a crew member aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare during operations in the Caribbean, the Coast Guard said.