A wedding proposal and a promotion honored a Coast Guardsman before he died of injuries from mission

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — 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 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.

The rescue swimmer, Tyler Jaggers, was also promoted to petty officer 2nd class.

“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 (222 nautical km) 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 Coast Guard said it is conducting an investigation into the cause of his injuries.

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.”

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Johnson reported from Seattle.