A 1996 Hebron Academy graduate killed in aterror attack in Kenya this week is being remembered as an extraordinary humanitarian and a top-notch swimmer.
Jason Spindler was one of 21 people killed in a bomb and gunfire attack Tuesday at a luxury hotel and office development in Kenya's capital of Nairobi. Five attackers were also killed.
Spindler captained the swim team for two years at Hebron Academy, where former swim coach Bill Becker says he was a standout in the toughest competitions: distance butterfly and freestyle.
“Just a great guy, a sense of adventure,” says Becker. “He came to prep school at Hebron from Texas and just did a remarkable job on the swim team. He was a natural leader, many friends in the school community and just an overall great guy."
Spindler went on to become an investment banker and was near the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where friends told the Washington Post that Spindler worked to rescue victims of the towers' collapse. Spindler joined the Peace Corps in the wake of that event, and he was most recently working to promote investment in local economies in Kenya. Spindler was 40-years-old.
The flags at Hebron Academy were lowered to half-staff Wednesday.
Updated Jan. 17, 2019 at 6:36 a.m. ET.