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| * The late John Servati who reportedly died while saving his girlfriend |
A 21-year-old swimmer, John Servati of Tupelo, Mississipi, USA, was reportedly killed on Monday night when storms swept through the city.
According to Foxnews, the student of University of Alabama was killed after a concrete wall collapsed on him whilehe was trying to save his girlfriend.
It was gathered through Deidre Stalnaker, Tuscaloosa city spokeswoman, that the late Servati, a dean's list student, was taking shelter in the basement of a house off campus when a retaining wall collapsed on him.
According to a colleague of the deceased, Anna Rae Gwarjanksi, a senior swimmer at the school, who tweeted that Servati died a hero and held up a "concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him.
Stalnaker said the tragic accident happened at a home on 22nd Avenue around 10:30 p.m. when the city was under a tornado warning. Servati was said to be pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Phillip Deaton, the captain of the school's swim team, told newsmen that "John was a hero every day, just constantly doing great things, so the fact that he did that doesn't surprise me at all."
It was informed that Servati competed in three events at the Southeastern Conference championships last year and he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
