A Life of Love, Passions & Heroism

---

Tyler was a forever 10-year-old, always playful, always funny, always receiving energy from others, always sharing his energy.

Big brother Tyler cared deeply for his family, especially his sister, always wanting the best for her well-being.

Tyler was preparing to spend the rest of his life with his one and only.  To fulfil his wish, the family proposed to his fiancée just hours before his passing.

Tyler got in the water at 6 months old and never came out.

Mom and Dad kept towels and a wet suit in the car at all times just in case there was an ocean, river, lake or even a fountain.

Standing on an outrigger riding the waves in Waikiki Hawaii.

Tyler got into competitive canoeing which led to competitions in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Australia and other places.

Tyler continued to push himself on races between Hawaiian Islands on prone boards, 35 miles for 8 hours.

Tyler started standup paddle when he was a teenager amassing quite the collection of medals and awards.

Tyler mentored anyone willing to share his passion of the water.

The Waterman's Waterman, Tyler went on to master and compete in open-water surf ski.

We had to pause for the photo on North Shore this day, it was too good to pass up.

A bachelor's degree in natural resource management from University of Hawaii.

Tyler had a National Park Pass and was well on his way to visit every U.S. National Park, a dream of his.

There will be no better friend to animals and wildlife than Tyler.

Tyler never saw a mountain he did not want to climb, hike, run or ski down.  Here he is on Mount St Helen's.

A day with Tyler was always and adventure.  You left the house at dawn to work out in the gym, ran 40 miles around a mountain counting bugs, paddled 30 miles between islands, then chill fly fishing at his fav spot.

Tyler pushed the extreme limits of his body by competing in several iron-mans.

Tyler's calling was to be around water while protecting people, so he became a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and California Lifeguard before joining the U.S. Coast Guard.

Tyler wanted to save lives in the most extreme conditions imaginable not just on the beach, so he joined the U.S. Coast Guard to become an elite Rescue Swimmer.

While waiting to get into swimmer school, Tyler served on the Coast Guard Cutter Legare in the Caribbean.  He received a Valor Award from the Secretary for saving the lives of some people that had fallen off a ship.

Tyler graduated from the elite Rescue Swimmer training school, shown here in his "serious" bad-ass pose.

Tyler applied his life-brand to the U.S. Coast Guard serving as Aviation Survival Technician (AST) aboard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters at Air Station Astoria Oregon. 

During a Joint U.S. - Canadian Coast Guard rescue operation, Tyler suffered critical injuries while rescuing a stroke victim from a commercial ship.  The Coast Guard Commandant awarded Tyler the Distinguished Flying Cross.  With his family, fiancée and fellow rescue swimmers by his side, Tyler succumbed to his injuries.  The stroke victim survived.