Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. As of Monday morning, the fundraiser has raised more than $86,000. Right now, Boyle needs seven blood transfusions. 2. The TAMU administration declined to accept the money and returned the checks. First truckloads of contaminated waste dumped in Putnam County landfill, IMPD releases edited bodycam of man shot, critically injured by officers after chase, Wednesday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast March 1, 2023, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Heavy rain, storms return Friday, 12-year-old boy and his dog killed by wildfire in Oregon, Young heroes rescue Marion man from burning home. They decided the best way was to burn it in the back garden using petrol to get the fire going. "Dr. Hartman says you expect for every percent that she was burned [to equate to] a day in the hospital, so about 94 days. Leaving April and Michael unable to work for an unknown amount of time. Zofkie reunited with friends who have prayed for months for her recovery. "The first time I went to fill my car up since the accident I started screaming in the middle of the petrol station - in that moment I felt so much fear. Although the cause of the incident is unknown at the time, authorities said they believe the explosion was a result of a flammable material that was poured onto a small fire in a fire pit in the backyard of a residence. All rights reserved. It was a little bit of a tough couple of months, said Zofkie. appreciated. A car accident late Friday night in Union County has left two injured and one dead. Korryn hopes she wont need surgery. It's like you always know you could get burned. Laynes mother, Leigh Ann Wirz Chesney, told CNN that Layne died Friday morning. "You go from high to low, almost angry to sad.". I try to live in such a way that I would honor their memories and honor their lives, Davis said. People sent thousands of e-mails about the cartoon to the newspaper offices. Natalie is front right. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. "I can't tell you how many times I've poured gas on a fire out of ignorance of the implications. He spent months undergoing rehabilitation for a shattered femur, all while grappling with the nightmare he survived. [16] On May 21, 2004, US Federal Judge Samuel B. Kent dismissed all claims against the Texas A&M officials. Natalie pulled through that first night, then the first week and now the first month. A color guard stood at attention as the family car pulled into the driveway and Zofkie exited the backseat. In total, the funds received exceeded US$250,000. [2], Rescue operations took over 24 hours; the pace was slowed by the decision to remove many of the logs by hand for fear that using heavy equipment to remove them would cause further collapses, resulting in further injuries to those still trapped. It absolutely reinforced in me the importance of life and the importance of relationships over everything else.. James spent over four months in the Vanderbilt Burn Center with burns on 85. Smith returned home several weeks ago. "Every day that goes by I still think about what happened," Louise said. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the remaining lawsuits against Texas A&M and its officials in April 2007. [2][5] The Texas A&M civil engineering department was also called on to examine the site and help the workers determine the order in which the logs could be safely removed, and, at the request of the Texas Forest Service, Steely Lumber Company in Huntsville, Texas, sent log-moving equipment and operators. That is why medical academy teacher Tyann Thomson and fellow teachers decided to organize a blood drive. COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KETK) - November marks 20 years since one East Texas woman lost her life in a beloved Aggie tradition. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. There were also boys at the scene who werent injured but helped put the flames out, and helped put water on everybody who feel guilty that they didnt do enough, Ellen Bachner said. [22] The final lawsuit, filed against two companies that provided crane operators and cranes for the bonfire, was settled in April 2014. It was an homage to this years prom theme: a night of a thousand lights. According to Dr. Hartman, Natalie still faces months in the hospital and multiple surgeries. Aggie students, who normally sit only when the opposing band plays, stood throughout both performances and gave both standing ovations. The 2023 season brings us several firsts: the first-ever groundcover shasta daisy,called Carpet Angel; annuals like Glimmer, a shade-tolerant, CMS advanced two proposed changes that could affect Medicare Advantage plans. [16] In one of the six lawsuits, plaintiffs alleged that A&M officials violated the bonfire victims' right of due process by placing those victims in a "state-created danger" by not ensuring the bonfire's structural integrity and by allowing unqualified students to work on the stack. Louise Chadwick suffered 13 severe burns on her shins, thighs, legs, feet, arms, hands and lower torso after starting a bonfire in her garden. Natalie's mom, Sarah Zofkie, was asleep when she got the call. Twelve students were killed and another 27 were injured, including Bill Davis, a sophomore at the time. You have permission to edit this article. She said only the soles of Laynes feet were not burned. I told them to go have fun for me, enjoy the night, she said in her family room, which was filled with balloons, flowers and get-well posters signed by friends. [15], Parents of students injured or killed in the collapse filed lawsuits against Texas A&M officials, including President Ray Bowen, Vice President of Student Affairs J. Malon Southerland, the 1999 redpots, and the university. At the end of the service, as A&M University President Ray Bowen presented roses to the families of the dead and injured students, the crowd spontaneously stood in silence, linking arms with those standing next to them, before quietly singing "Amazing Grace". The film details the Bonfire collapse, follows the survivors and honors those who died. The game began with a flyover of F-16 jets, all piloted by former A&M students, in the missing man formation. [23], On November 19, 1999, The Arizona Republic released a political cartoon by Steve Benson titled "Texas Bonfire Traditions" that compared the collapse to the Waco siege of 1993 and the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr.[24] This prompted criticism and negative reactions from the Texas A&M community, and the Republic removed the cartoon. I'm just glad that people came. Over 40,000 people lit candles and observed up to two hours of silence at the site of the collapse, before walking to Kyle Field for yell practice. Did you encounter any technical issues? That's the other thing that makes this hard because there is no gold standard as to what is going to happen because every burn survivor is different, and every rehab is different. They will do physical therapy with her there. I guess the gas can had about this much left in it, and the fumes are what ignited and caused the fire," Sarah said. "Jamie was trying to help me get them off but he was in complete shock at what was happening. [12], On November 25, 1999, the date that the bonfire would have burned, Aggies instead held a vigil and remembrance ceremony. After gasoline was poured on the bonfire, the flames exploded and set both Natalie and her friend, James, on fire. "I could feel the heat quickly nearing my face, but I couldn't get my trousers off because I was wearing my partners slippers. The firefighters who treated Zofkie at the scene welcomed her home, leading the parade that provided the Zofkie an escort for the last few miles to her home. Her date, a close friend and Glenbard East senior, spent the rest of the night watching movies with Korryn on her couch. And she still feels it, her mother said. Davis was buried, pinned in a small cavity with several broken bones and a collapsed lung. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Zofkie family photo. The horror fire while she was refurbishing her daughter's bedroom with her daughter's ex-boyfriend, and the two ripped out a wardrobe which later needed disposing of. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. There's definitely a lot of pain and tears and it was very lonely. Before the collapse, some people, such as Texas A&M engineering professor Theodore Hirsch, expressed concerns about the safety of the bonfire, citing the partial collapse that occurred in a previous bonfire, the progressively shorter bonfire burn times which had dropped from several hours to collapsing in less than 20 minutes, and numerous incidents involving alcohol or unsafe horseplay at the bonfire site. The accident ended the bonfire as an annual campus tradition although students and alumni still hold the event off-campus without support from the university. While grappling with the tragic accident, though, Natalie never shied away from sharing her story and educating the community about what its like to be a burn survivor. "His mom told us not to play with the gas can, but we didn't listen, said Zofkie, who takes responsibility for the accident in which she suffered third-degree burns over 93 percent of her body. HOUSTON A Houston-area survivor of the deadly 1999 Texas A&M University bonfire collapse is recounting his story. They're just like waiting there. On April 20, she arrived home after dark to find lit candles spelling PROM? across her driveway. NOBLESVILLE, Ind. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much My body is still burned. Send an email to angelsofnataliezofkie@gmail.com for more information and to contribute. Delivered straight to your inbox, our daily coronavirus briefing will keep you informed of what is happening with Covid, lockdown, the vaccination rollout and the impact on how we live. The task force recommended that students be allowed to participate in building the bonfire as long as they were monitored by professional construction experts. On November 18, 1999, a stack of over 5,000 logs collapsed on Texas A&M campus as students were building their annual bonfire before the Texas game on Thanksgiving day. "I am not 100% better. On November 25, 1999, the date that the bonfire would have burned, Aggies instead held a vigil and remembrance ceremony. She recently gained her industry qualifications with the help of her daughters, and can't wait to see where her new career take her in the future. There is not a day that goes by that in some way Im not thinking about the bonfire, Davis said. A 16-year-old Florida girl who was badly burned in a 2017 New Years Eve bonfire accident has died, according to her mother. Despite their efforts, Layne had third-degree burns over 95% of her body, her mother said. 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