The waters off the Washington coast were calm enough that day, but the mission unfolding above them was anything but routine. Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer known for jumping into danger to save strangers, was fighting for his life after a tragic accident during a rescue mission. Days later, the young serviceman who dedicated his career to saving others would lose that battle.
Jaggers, an aviation survival technician stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Astoria in Oregon, died on the evening of March 5 at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The 27-year-old had suffered critical injuries during a medical evacuation mission on February 27 while responding to an emergency at sea.
The rescue call had come from the commercial motor vessel Momi Arrow, about 120 nautical miles west of Cape Flattery near the maritime border between the United States and Canada. Jaggers was part of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew sent to evacuate a crew member suffering a serious medical emergency. During the hoist operation, something went terribly wrong, leaving the rescue swimmer gravely injured while carrying out the dangerous work he had trained for.
He was first rushed to Victoria General Hospital in British Columbia for emergency treatment. From there, he was transferred to Madigan Army Medical Center south of Seattle, where doctors kept him on life support while family members, friends, and fellow Coast Guard crew members gathered at his bedside. Despite the efforts of medical teams, Jaggers died days later from the injuries he sustained during the mission.
In the hospital room where he spent his final days, his service and courage were formally recognized. During a ceremony attended by his loved ones and Coast Guard colleagues, Jaggers was posthumously advanced to petty officer second class and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the highest military honors for heroism in aerial flight. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday praised the young swimmer, saying Jaggers represented the very best of the service and showed extraordinary bravery in the face of danger.
But the most emotional moment came in a quiet, deeply personal gesture. Jaggers had planned to propose to his girlfriend, Cassandra Weaver. With him unable to speak, his family stepped in to fulfill that wish. At his hospital bedside, surrounded by the people who loved him most, his father placed the engagement ring on Weaver’s finger on Tyler’s behalf. She said yes.
The couple’s story, shared by Weaver online, captured the depth of their bond. She wrote that their love had always felt rare and larger than life. In that hospital room, even in the shadow of tragedy, the promise Jaggers had hoped to make became real.
Jaggers had joined the Coast Guard in January 2022 and began serving at Air Station Astoria in April 2024. Before that assignment, he had already earned recognition from the Department of Homeland Security for his exceptional performance aboard the cutter Legare during operations in the Caribbean Sea. Colleagues described him as a dedicated crew member and mentor who embodied the rescue swimmer motto: “So others may live.”
The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident during the hoist operation. Officials say additional details will be released once the review is complete. For now, the service and the community he served are mourning a young man who lost his life doing the work he believed in.
