Swimmer John Servati Died After A Concrete Wall Collapsed On His Chest But Saved His Girlfriend Lauren Swann
Henry Morales
Published May 15, 2026
Swimmer John Servati Died After A Concrete Wall Collapsed On His Chest But Saved His Girlfriend Lauren Swann
John Servati was a proud member of the Alabama Swimming and Diving team.
May 1, 2026
This article was last updated by Manoj Gadtaula on April 30, 2026
John Servati passed away while saving the life of his girlfriend when a wall collapsed in the basement.
Born on February 1, 1993, in South Bend, Indiana, John Servati from Tupelo High School in 2011, where he set multiple state records in swimming.
John, a junior at the University of Alabama, was named the Tupelo Sports Council Athlete of the Year in 2007 and 2010 and was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
He was a proud member of the Alabama Swimming and Diving team, where he competed in freestyle, backstroke, and three other events at the 2013 SEC Championships.
John Servati Saved The Life Of His Girlfriend, Lauren Swann, By Giving Up His
An accomplished collegiate swimmer, John Servati, and Lauren Swann had only been when John sacrificed his life to save Lauren.
John was killed by a tornado in April 2014 after being crushed by a concrete wall.
When the storm started on Monday night, they refused to drive to Swann’s parents’ house, which had a storm shelter. Instead, they stayed at her house.
They from her front porch and watched lightning brighten the dark clouds. The front door was left open, allowing the TV sound to reach the patio.
Servati heard the broadcast instructing anyone around Alabama’s campus to take shelter immediately.
The storms were getting stronger, so they moved down to the basement. Suddenly, the walls collapsed on top of them.
John Servati with his girlfriend, Lauen Swann. (Source: )After the walls gave way in a mini-mudslide, Swann found her head pinned by the concrete. Servati’s 6-foot frame allowed his head to extend beyond the walls.
Against all odds, John managed to push the concrete off Swann and move her out of the way. Then, the wall collapsed on John’s chest.
Swann found her phone and 911, but no one came for almost an hour. For an hour, Swann spent watching her boyfriend John get slowly crushed to death.
When the rescue team arrived, it took more than six of them to lift the concrete that John had moved single-handedly.
He was rushed to the DCH Regional Medical Hospital in Tuscaloosa, but didn’t make it. Lauren didn’t see John again until the funeral.
Visitation at Calvary Baptist Church on Friday, May 2, 2026, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. and for one hour before the service.
Services for John Servati were held at Calvary Baptist Church on Saturday, May 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- John Servati was focused on his studies. He regularly made the Dean’s List and Honor Roll and had a 3.55 GPA in finance.
- Servati was born to his father, Al Servati, and his mother, Janet Gaston. He grew up with his six siblings: Catherine, Sarah Abraham, Mary Landis Gaston, Sarah Katherine Gaston, Natalie Lieberman, and Christopher Covington.
- He fiercely loved his family, friends, and yellow Labrador, Duke.
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