Coaches, teammates remember Lexington teen who drowned in Florida

LEXINGTON, Tenn. — The Lexington High School community is mourning the loss of one of their own.

Panama City Beach Police said Tyler Spann, 15, drowned Tuesday afternoon. The school said Spann was a rising sophomore and played wide receiver on the football team.

A witness said Spann was not far from the shore. “Maybe 150 feet,” Ben Trahan, a beach visitor, said.

Yellow flags were flying at the time, indicating rough ocean conditions. We’re told not a single lifeguard was stationed nearby.

“Saw everybody going out with their rafts looking for him and then man holds up the red flag, like he found him,” Trahan said.

Spann’s teammates and coaches met with local pastors and counselors at the school Wednesday. Out of respect for the family, they did not want to talk on camera Wednesday.

People who knew Spann said the teen always had a smile on his face and could brighten the room.

Spann’s football coach said the teen also played basketball and ran track.

Eight people already died in the gulf this year, according to the Florida Department of Health.