A Warner Bros. 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. A 16-year-old Florida girl who was badly burned in a 2017 New Years Eve bonfire accident has died, according to her mother. Its not too bad to talk about, she said. First responders led the welcome home parade for 12-year-old Natalie Zofkie Wednesday. Authorities have said one of about 25 high-school-aged students at a party poured gasoline from a 5-gallon can onto the fire; that teenager was a boy who was also severely injured in the explosion, according to law enforcement. 93 Monday marks 14 years since the tragic collapse of the Aggie Bonfire that claimed 12 lives and injured 27 others on the Texas A&M University campus. NOBLESVILLE, Ind. She wore the dress shed selected before the fire a black off-the-shoulder top with a floral-patterned flowing skirt, with a shimmery necklace and matching bracelets adorning her neck and wrists. WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: In a split second Louise Chadwick's entire lower body caught alight and the burning petrol that drenched her clothes was slowly starting to creep up her body - now she's warning others ahead of Bonfire Night. Boyle and Smith remain hospitalized at Vanderbilt Hospital. Then, she'll get to come home and then, we'll go back to Riley three or four days a week for physical therapy with her," Sarah said. A color guard stood at attention as the family car pulled into the driveway and Zofkie exited the backseat. All rights reserved. She was airlifted to hospital as a result of her injuries and spent the next two weeks in intensive care. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The total amount of funds spent by the university on all disaster-related expenses by that date was $292,000. Nov. 18, 2019. will mark 20 years since the nearly 60-foot timber structure . Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices, cap costs at $35 for many people with diabetes. Here's what to know. The original goal on the GoFundMe page was set for $20,000, but has been increased to $25,000 . Zofkie spent five months in the hospital, including two months in a coma. [26] One of the students killed in the 1999 bonfire collapse was under the legal drinking age yet a toxicology test showed high blood-alcohol levels; however, lower readings in a second test and inconsistencies in the initial sampling and annotation methods led to questions about the accuracy of the original tests.[27][17]. Daniel Hewey, 20, died from his injuries after he was . On December 1, the newspaper sent a total of $10,000 in two checks as a peace offering to the university, with $5,000 to the Bonfire Memorial Fund and $5,000 to the Bonfire Relief Fund. But I'm just glad to be out.". It absolutely reinforced in me the importance of life and the importance of relationships over everything else.. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 25-year-old Natalie Smith was driving west on County Road 18 near Southwest 78th Place with 29-year-old Tyler Ritchie and another passenger around 11:37pm when, for unknown reasons, the 2007 Honda Accord went off road and onto the north shoulder. But I pulled through.". 2021 Chip Chick Media Inc. All rights reserved. [2] Ten students and one former student were killed in the initial collapse, while another student died in the hospital the next day bringing the total deceased to twelve. In that moment, I saw the ground moving and somehow it didnt really get into my brain this thing is falling. [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. On Nov. 18, just after 2:40 a.m., something went terribly wrong and the structure made up of about 5,000 trees collapsed. HOUSTON A Houston-area survivor of the deadly 1999 Texas A&M University bonfire collapse is recounting his story. Layne Chesney was 14 years old and a star softball player when the. At half-time, the Texas Longhorn Band dedicated their performance to the students lost and injured in the collapse, and ended by playing "Amazing Grace" and "Taps", then removing their white hats in a show of respect as they walked off the field. She fought a hard battle right until the end never wanting to quit because quitting was not in her nature a Facebook page for her supporters reported Friday. Example video title will go here for this video. [2], A commission created by Texas A&M University discovered that a number of factors led to the bonfire collapse, including "excessive internal stresses" on the logs and "inadequate containment strength" in the wiring used to tie the logs together. Bachner, a sophomore at Glenbard East High School, was was released from the hospital earlier in May after being treated for 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her face and head. Twelve students were killed and another 27 were injured, including Bill Davis, a sophomore at the time. Bigger, better, tougher? People have left food for the Zofkie family now that Sarah has returned to work while Natalie is still recovering in the hospital. Two teenagers were injured in Leetown Friday evening -- one grievously -- after a bonfire accident, officers of the Hancock County Sheriff's Office said. "The scars on my body have healed as much as they ever will, but it's my mental health that's been damaged the most. At approximately 2:42a.m.[a] on November 18, 1999, the annual Aggie Bonfire at Texas A&M University collapsed during its construction, killing 12 people and injuring 27. A color guard stood at attention as the family car pulled into the driveway and Zofkie exited the backseat. As she was at a friends house, she was involved in a bonfire accident. Davis was buried, pinned in a small cavity with several broken bones and a collapsed lung. A firefighter who was killed in a Christmas Day car crash while heading to an emergency call was laid to rest Sunday. A few days after the accident, Laynes mother told CNN affiliate WFOR, that her daughter and friends were roasting marshmallows that night at a friends backyard. There's definitely a lot of pain and tears and it was very lonely. Donations can also be made to "Angels of Natalie Zofkie." Zofkie family photo. She sustained severe burns on her face, chest, arms, hands, and back, and within her first year of recovery, Natalie underwent twelve laser surgeries, a free-flap neck surgery, and five full-thickness skin graft surgeries. She longs to return to the varsity cheerleading squad and sometimes attends practice to be supportive, though its hard to watch everyone else doing what she loves when she cant participate. Several people received burns and were shortly transported to nearby hospitals, authorities said. Copyright 2019 WAFF. He spent months in the hospital following amputation of his left leg and partial paralysis of his right side. "Every day that goes by I still think about what happened," Louise said. Zofkies mother, Sarah Zofkie, said her daughter is not expected to require further surgery. The Burning Desire of Texas A&M Fifteen years after the horrific collapse that killed 12 students at Texas A&M, the Aggies are once again building -- and setting ablaze -- a monstrous conflagration. "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. Louise, from Radcliffe, Manchester, said: "At first I was in complete shock. "It was less than a 30-minute drive, but it felt like we were never going to get there," Sarah said. 2023 Cable News Network. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much At the stadium, fans relit their candles as the Parsons Mounted Cavalry fired the Aggie cannon twelve times, once for each victim. "He called and said, 'Something terrible happened. Photos from the night capture her smiling profile, the contours of her face smooth and unblemished. Davis spent seven days in the ICU and another couple of weeks in the hospital. 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. Each morning, the mother changes the dressing that covers the burns on her daughters face and neck, examining how much the delicate skin beneath has healed. A Carmel Fire Department engine led the parade of more than 50 vehicles Wednesday through a Noblesville neighborhood to escort 12-year-old Natalie Zofkie home from the hospital. 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. A Carmel Fire Department engine led the parade of more than 50 vehicles Wednesday through a Noblesville neighborhood to escort 12-year-old Natalie Zofkie home from the hospital. A website raising money for Chesney's medical costs reached more than $23,000 Thursday evening. 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. Right now, Boyle needs seven blood transfusions. But I dont really think about it (now). They're just like waiting there. She has a spirit like nobody else.". Her older siblings brother, Andrew, from Dallas and sister, Sophia, in college rushed home to be by her side. There is not a day that goes by that in some way Im not thinking about the bonfire, Davis said. James Boyle and Natalie Prescott suffered severe burns in the explosion and are still recovering. "One of the worst things you could ever imagine, especially with a little girl. Within hours, 50 news satellite trucks were broadcasting from the Texas A&M campus. The university agreed to pay $2.1 million and promised that if the bonfire returned to campus that "engineering oversight" would be provided. The car then struck a ditch and continued northwest into a nearby pasture before overturning several times, eventually coming to rest on its roof. Doctors have told Sarah they believe Natalie will be able to walk and should regain full mobility. 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. You don't know you could get burned to a point where you may not live.". [2], The Texas Board of Professional Engineers announced in 2000 that the Aggie Bonfire met the requirements to be considered a complex construction project subject to regulation under state engineering laws and would thus have had to be designed and overseen by a professional engineer. "Jamie was trying to help me get them off but he was in complete shock at what was happening. They were both med-flighted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee,. 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