US Coast Guard confirms Petty Officer Tyler Jaggers death after mission injury

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Friday that Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, an aviation survival technician stationed at USCG Air Force Station Astoria, Oregon, died Thursday following a medical evacuation mission off the coast of Cape Flattery, Washington.

During the Feb. 27 mission, Jaggers was seriously injured and placed 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 at 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.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers died after a mission off the coast of Washington State. (US Coast Guard via X)

Before his death, Jaggers was meritoriously advanced to AST2 for his “relentless drive to achieve qualifications, the mentoring he consistently provided to swimmer candidates and his exceptional performance during operational missions,” according to officials.

He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross – one of the nation’s highest awards for heroism in aerial flight – from the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers leaves behind his parents, sister, fiancé, friends and Coast Guard teammates. (US Coast Guard via X)

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“Through his selfless service and sacrifice, AST2 Jaggers exemplified the finest legacy of Coast Guard service and the sacred oath of the aviation rescue swimming community: that others may live,” officials wrote in the release.

GCHRSA said it is actively coordinating support for the Jaggers family and crew at Astoria Air Force Base.

Authorities have provided few details about the mission. (US Coast Guard via X)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., said Coast Guard crews “never hesitate to rush 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, as well as the entire U.S. Coast Guard and team based in Astoria,” Gluesenkamp Perez wrote in a statement on X.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers poses for a photo with a group of Coast Guardsmen in this undated photo. (US Coast Guard via X)

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Additional details about the mission have not yet been released.

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