A Life of Service
Honoring a life lived in service to others—and the responsibility to carry that example forward.
On February 27th, during an offshore MEDEVAC, Rescue Swimmer Tyler Jaggers was critically injured. Several days later, he succumbed to his injuries. Today, we gather to honor his life.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served with Tyler Jaggers.
Tyler, like most Coast Guard rescue swimmers, was a radiant example of using his gifts in service to others. He showed all of us what it means to close the gap between who we are and who we were created to be—both as individuals and as members of a team.
As a proud member of the helicopter rescue community, Tyler always showed up for the Thursday night gatherings at our Advanced Helicopter Rescue School because he valued the fellowship with the crews, whether he was attending the course or not. His life was full of these examples.
During duty periods, we talked about the impact competitive ocean paddling (all types) had on his life—how it shaped him, his mindset, and his approach to the profession. He also spoke about his desire to bring those same experiences to youth in the local community. He looked for ways to serve at work and beyond.
To me, he was a light in this world.
To honor Tyler—and others like him—we must carry that light forward. Not only by remembering him, but by living in a way that reflects the same spirit of service, commitment, and love for others—carrying out our own individual missions with Tyler’s joy, enthusiasm, determination, and curiosity.
Not everyone has the ability to become a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Not everyone is called to place themselves in harm’s way to save a stranger.
But Tyler showed us something universal:
Our lives are a gift—and how we choose to live them is our gift in return.
We are grateful for the gift of Tyler Jaggers.
May his example guide us—to choose the hard things, to serve others, and to become who we are called to be.
I am struggling with the passing of Tyler. I did not know him well, but I knew his kind. When you serve as an AST Instructor, you become intimately familiar with the type of men willing to put themselves in harm’s way to save the life of another. When you see that kind of selflessness displayed so clearly, it endears them to you.
In the Rescue Swimmer community, we have suffered the loss of other ASTs before. But Tyler is the first to perish alone in the act of performing a rescue. I think it is hitting the RS community especially hard because he is the first, and because we all see ourselves in Tyler. We were all once the new guy going down on the hook. More specifically, I think we are hurting because, in some way, we all wish it had been one of us instead of him.
Today I am going to watch his ceremony, and in a shock to no one, I am going to cry, because I am a crier. Then I am going to apply the same tactic my daughter uses when she gets hit by a pitch: she gives herself a five-count, then gets back in the box. After the ceremony, I am going to give myself a five-count and then do my best to honor Tyler by being the best version of myself I can be today. I think that is all any of us can do.
Most Respectfully,
BK RS#643
Thank you 643. I’ve been counting to five a lot since your comment and getting back into the box to take my swings.