University of Alabama Swimmer John Servati Died a Hero in Tornado, Friends Say

By Nicole Weisensee Egan

04/30/2014 at 02:15 PM EDT

John Servati

Courtesy The University of Alabama

"John Servati died a hero," fellow swimmer Anna Rae Gwarjanski Tweeted Tuesday. "Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him."

Officials would only say Servati, 21, of Tupelo, Miss., died after a retaining wall collapsed in his home in Tuscaloosa.

"I understand that he was in a house off-campus and was hit by a retaining wall," school spokesman Shane Dorrill told ESPN. "I don't know how it happened. I do know he was with his girlfriend and she is uninjured."

At least 35 people have died since tornadoes began sweeping through the Midwest and South Sunday.

Servati's coach Dennis Pursley released a statement through the university.

"John Servati was an extraordinary young man of great character and warmth who had a tremendously giving spirit," Pursley said. "He will forever be in our hearts and a part of the Crimson Tide legacy."

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University of Alabama Swimmer John Servati Died a Hero in Tornado, Friends Say