A student-athlete at the University of Alabama died on Monday after a tornado hit the Tuscaloosa area, ABCNews.com reported.
School officials confirmed on Tuesday that John Servati, a 21-year-old swimmer and dean's list student, was killed in the storms.
"John Servati was an extraordinary young man of great character and warmth who had a tremendously giving spirit," UA coach Dennis Pursley said in a statement. "During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to all who had the good fortune to know him. He will forever be in our hearts and a part of the Crimson Tide legacy."
Shane Dorrill, a university spokesman, said Servati died at DCH Regional Medical Center is Tuscaloosa after being hurt in the basement of a house near campus, where his girlfriend was able to escape without injury.
"I understand that he was in a house off-campus and was hit by a retaining wall," Dorrill told ABC News. "I don't know how it happened. I do know he was with his girlfriend and she is uninjured."
Anna Rae Gwarjanski, a member of the school's women's swim team, remembered Servati on Twitter and claimed he saved his girlfriend.
"John Servati died a hero. Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him," Gwarjanski tweeted.
"John's mom told our team this morning he always wanted to be an Alabama swimmer, and he always wanted to be a hero. He accomplished both," she added on the social media site.
Phillip Deaton, the swim team's captain, released a statement following the tragic news.
"John definitely had a genuine heart," Deaton said in the release. "He was a carefree guy who always had this huge smile on his face. He was my training partner for three years and I can tell you that while he liked to goof around and have fun, when he stepped up on the block he was intensely focused -- he was a competitor and an amazing teammate. As a team, we are doing the best we can right now."
