A Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tyler Jaggers, who died from injuries sustained during a medical evacuation mission, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received a hospital-room wedding proposal. Jaggers fell during the rescue operation off the Washington coast.
by CLAIRE RUSH and GENE JOHNSON Associated PressIn this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard , rescue swimmer Tyler Jaggers, who died March 5, 2026, of his injuries following a medical evacuation mission off the coast of Washington state, is seen in an aircraft.
But before he passed away Thursday evening, two poignant ceremonies were held on his behalf: His partner posted on social media that she had accepted a hospital-room wedding proposal carried out by his family. And the Coast Guard awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the highest military awards for heroism during flight, as his family and crewmates watched.In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, rescue swimmer Tyler Jaggers, who died March 5, 2026, of his injuries following a medical evacuation mission off the coast of Washington state, is seen in an aircraft. “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.” Jaggers was part of an Astoria, Oregon-based crew that responded Feb. 27 to transport a stroke victim from a commercial vessel 120 nautical miles off the Washington coast, the Coast Guard said. The agency did not specify what happened, citing an ongoing investigation. But according to Rick McElrath, board president and founder of the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Association, Jaggers fell as he was being lowered to the deck from a helicopter. The association is a nonprofit dedicated to helping Coast Guard aviation veterans. Jaggers had been on life support, the association said. He was treated at hospitals in Victoria, British Columbia, and at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle. He died Thursday evening, the Coast Guard reported. 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.The Canadian Coast Guard subsequently responded to evacuate the stroke victim, McElrath said. In a post on social media Thursday, Jaggers’ partner described how she became his fiancee: While at his hospital bedside, his dad placed the 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,” Cassandra 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, and touching his Coast Guard uniform.“I always told him I didn’t care if he proposed with a Ring Pop,” she wrote. “I said yes.”The DEA says it has made the largest drug seizure in the history of the Eastern District of Washington after seizing nearly 370 pounds of illicit substances.The FBI is investigating after a flight from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale diverted to Atlanta Friday so police could remove a passenger amid a security scare.A century-old redwood in Seattle’s Madison Park was cut down Friday, despite weeks of protests from neighbors who said bald eagles had been using the tree.A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer has died after being injured while on a medical evacuation mission off the Washington coast.But before he passed away ThursdayA controversial bill that could allow the state to remove an elected sheriff moved closer to becoming law after it passed the Washington House.
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Heroism Distinguished Flying Cross Obituary
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