Sign encourages water safety in honor of Tyler Spann
LEXINGTON, Tenn. — The Spann family wants to help save as many lives as possible with the help of a special monument honoring their son, Tyler Spann.
“This is just a way to honor him and remember him. He died from a drowning in Florida. So Beech Lake promotes water safety,” said Melissa Gilbert, the Executive Director of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.
Tyler Spann is being remembered by the Henderson County community, and they hope a new sign, as well as a life vest loaner station, will help raise more water safety awareness.
“We don’t need anymore drownings. We’ve had a few here in Beech Lake. We definitely want to promote the importance of water safety,” Gilbert said.
Tyler Spann’s mother, Angela Spann, says she’s very thankful the sign is built in his honor.
“This is a dream come true. I am so aware of how many people do not know the necessity of wearing a life vest, and I’m just hoping that with our life vest station that people will ask, ‘Who is that?’ And they will say he drowned in a rip tide. Maybe you should put your life vest on,” Angela Spann said.
She also says she wants his legacy to continue.
“It was so perfect because I want Tyler to continue to motivate people to be safe in water — open water mostly — because of the undercurrents and the riptides. So this is the best location I could think of in our city,” Angela Spann said.
The Spann family also has a foundation to raise water safety and organ donation awareness.
You can find the Tyler Spann Foundation on Facebook.
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