The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday confirmed Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, an aviation survival technician stationed at USCG Air Station Astoria, Oregon, died Thursday following a medical evacuation mission off the coast of Cape Flattery, Washington.
During the Feb. 27 mission, Jaggers was critically injured and put on life support, according to statements from the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Association (GCHRSA).
He later died at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington, surrounded by his parents, sister, fiancé, friends, and Coast Guard teammates, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
“We are grateful for his faithful service,” Noem wrote in a social media post.
Prior to his death, Jaggers was meritoriously advanced to AST2 for his “relentless drive in qualifications, the mentorship he consistently provided to swimmer candidates, and his exceptional performance across operational missions,” according to officials.
He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross — one of the nation’s highest awards for heroism in aerial flight — by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
“Through his selfless service and sacrifice, AST2 Jaggers exemplified the finest legacies of Coast Guard service, and the sacred oath of the Aviation Rescue Swimmer community: So Others May Live,'” officials wrote in the statement.
The GCHRSA said it is actively coordinating support for Jaggers’ family and the aircrew at Air Station Astoria.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., said Coast Guard crews “never waver in rushing to the water to save lives and that’s what Tyler Jaggers was doing when he was injured.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, along with the entire United States Coast Guard and the team based in Astoria,” Gluesenkamp Perez wrote in a statement on X.
Additional details about the mission have not yet been released.
