The Glendale Heights Police Department said officers responded to an incident at the 1800 block of Marci Ct. around 10:16 p.m. Saturday. MADISON COUNTY, Ala. - In November 2019, James Boyle and Natalie Skye were burned in an explosion during a bonfire. COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KETK) - November marks 20 years since one East Texas woman lost her life in a beloved Aggie tradition. People have left food for the Zofkie family now that Sarah has returned to work while Natalie is still recovering in the hospital. "Over the years, I have been terrified of bonfire night and fireworks, but I have a grandson now, and I don't want to miss out on important parts of his childhood. Louise pleaded with people to stay safe and not take risks as bonfire night arrives and celebrations begin. Natalie Zofkie returned home from the hospital to a hero's welcome Wednesday. Theres a form of survivors guilt, for sure, she said. The blood drive will be held at the school on Monday, December 16th at the high school from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Smith collided with a Toyota Tacoma driven by 30-year-old Natalie Swauger, of Seaside. An explosion occurred. "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. 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. But I don't know if I really deserved all that.". That is why medical academy teacher Tyann Thomson and fellow teachers decided to organize a blood drive. Changing the dressing takes about an hour from start to finish. NOBLESVILLE, Ind. The sixth-grade girl then stood at the sidewalk as more fire engines, police cars and vehicles driven by other supporters filed past the house. It is been two weeks since sophomores James Boyle and Natalie Smith were injured at an outdoor bonfire. And she still feels it, her mother said. 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. At least 5 injured in fire-related incident in Hazel Green Accelerant poured on the fire left both students with severe burns. And seeing her come home is one of the best things I could have ever imagined.". "They went out on the deck and were out there making s'mores, and Natalie poured gas on the fire to make it bigger. "93 percent of her body is burnt. 2023 Cable News Network. It absolutely reinforced in me the importance of life and the importance of relationships over everything else.. Students, including the entire Texas A&M football team and many members of the university's Corps of Cadets, rushed to the site to assist rescue workers with the manual removal of the logs. Korryn Bachner , 15, hugs her dog Nina at her home in Lombard on May 18. Zofkie was at a friend's house in Carmel that night making s'mores. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In March of 2020, just one month after she was discharged from the hospital, Natalie began sharing her story on her Instagram account, @NatalieSkyye. Fortunately for Natalie, she had small amounts of skin on her scalp, face and under her arms to harvest from. Former US President George H. W. Bush, his wife Barbara, Texas Governor George W. Bush, and his wife Laura attended the remembrance ceremony. Natalie's family is counting on her resilience for the grueling months ahead, but her mom is taking it one day at a time. But burn healing is a long, long process. A woman engulfed in flames for five minutes in a freak accident has spoken of her horror ahead of Bonfire Night. At the Systems Building, Texas A&M leaders erected pictures of the deceased students. She said only the soles of Laynes feet were not burned. Sign up here. It's like you always know you could get burned. 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. "Natalie grew up with me and my friends, and so when they all heard, they were devastated," Sophia said. 489 were here. Several people received burns and were shortly transported to nearby hospitals, authorities said. For information about the documentary, including showtimes and locations, click here. Something went wrong, please try again later. She was airlifted to hospital as a result of her injuries and spent the next two weeks in intensive care. [20] In October 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the appeals court ruling. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). "That's when my pajama bottoms set alight and the flames started to rise up towards my torso. Natalie, 11, had been critically burned in an accident around a fire pit at a friend's home. There's definitely a lot of pain and tears and it was very lonely. Several people received . He was holding the gas can in his right hand resulting in the lost of the tips of all 10 fingers. Daniel Hewey, 20, died from his injuries after he was . I was trapped for four hours.. The bonfire was set alight in the back garden to burn old furniture, Louise suffered horrendous burns in the blaze, Louise with daughter Georgia Mulbey and partner Carl Dover, The horrific burns which scarred Louise's body, The painful burns needed urgent hospital treatment, Louise recovering from her injuries after the accident in 2017, The burns to Louise's body were extensive, Louise did not know the burns would scar her for life both physically and mentally, Face masks must be worn in pubs to stop Christmas lockdown, says top scientist, Mum weighing 25st who'd never seen upstairs of her house loses half body weight. Did you encounter any technical issues? Comstock returned to A&M in 2001 to finish his degree. I guess the gas can had about this much left in it, and the fumes are what ignited and caused the fire," Sarah said. [7] By 2000 Texas A&M spent over $80,000 so students and administrators could travel to the funerals of the deceased, including $40,000 so 125 students and staff could attend a funeral in Turlock, California by way of private aircraft; most of the persons on board were students. 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 have permission to edit this article. Zofkie reunited with friends who have prayed for months for her recovery. 303k Followers, 4,491 Following, 650 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Natalie Smith (@smithnathi) Natalie Smith (@smithnathi) Instagram photos and videos smithnathi James ran for 3 minutes while on fire as he was attempting to strip his burning clothes. accidental death and dismemberment insurance, "Unlit bonfire collapse at Texas A&M kills at least 4, injures 25", "Aggie medics recount stories of sorrowful day", "More than memories remain for some survivors of collapse", "Rescuer who helped bonfire victims honored", "A&M spends $292,000 after bonfire collapse", "Gates: Bonfire will not burn in Autumn 2003", "Suits claim A&M tried to skirt Bonfire liability", "Court says A&M is not liable in Bonfire lawsuit", "Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuits Over Texas A&M Bonfire Accident", "Supreme Court won't hear Texas A&M bonfire appeal", "Texas A&M settles lawsuit over bonfire deaths", "Last of lawsuits over A&M bonfire collapse is settled", "Slideplayer # 7 Editorials & Features When it's OK to have opinion in a story", "The Aggie Bonfire Tragedy Texas Monthly", The Special Commission on the 1999 Bonfire, The Special Commission on the 1999 Bonfire Final Report, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1999_Aggie_Bonfire_collapse&oldid=1142363315, Excessive internal stresses on logs and inadequate wiring strength on ties, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 00:23. "This is something I never, ever imagined I would ever see in my career, said Morgan. 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. The purpose of this page is to keep our community well informed while supporting local businesses & events! Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the remaining lawsuits against Texas A&M and its officials in April 2007. [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 . [9] Bowen's successor Robert Gates upheld this decision, stating that a "change in the status quo regarding the future of Bonfire would be inappropriate while litigation is still on-going". 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. The mum of two suffered third degree burns all over her lower body and arms leaving her in need of a skin graft. It was a tradition that spanned decades; students would spend months constructing a massive log tiered tower to be burned on campus before a rivalry football game. A color guard stood at attention as the family car pulled into the driveway and Zofkie exited the backseat. "You know, 'You're not supposed to do things like that,' but you just don't think that's going to happen," Sarah said. The car then struck a ditch and continued northwest into a nearby pasture before overturning several times, eventually coming to rest on its roof. "I want people to realise the dangers associated with bonfires and how quickly things can go wrong. Eventually, Louise's clothes were wet enough to extinguish the flames and she was able to briefly escape the torture she'd just endured. She also has an extreme phobia of any kind of open flame - making fireworks and bonfire night a terrifying occasion. [2][4], Of the 58 students and former students working on the stack, 12 were killed and 27 were injured. November 21, 2022, 7:00 am. Smith returned home several weeks ago. Anyone from the public is welcome to donate blood. 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 . They were both med-flighted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee,. James spent over four months in the Vanderbilt Burn Center with burns on 85. This was eight days before the fire pit explosion, which she describes as a horrible accident. He spent months undergoing rehabilitation for a shattered femur, all while grappling with the nightmare he survived. A friend painted her nails a bright shade of pink to match the flowers on her dress, the flesh of her hands shiny and newly grown, still recovering from the burns. CNNs By Hollie Silverman, Dave Alsup and Laura Diaz-Zuniga contributed to this report. "If the skin grafts take, we're still not out of the woods yet. Boyle and Smith remain hospitalized at Vanderbilt Hospital. A car accident late Friday night in Union County has left two injured and one dead. There were reportedly dozens of. Some eyewitnesses say the collapse time was before 2:42 a.m. and that 2:42 was the time of the police report. [11], The following day, the Aggies upset the Texas Longhorns, winning 2016 in the annual rivalry game. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. The man who died after an accident while helping to build a bonfire at a site in County Antrim has been named locally as John Steele. Its painful, excruciating, she said, closing her eyes and cringing at the memory of the daily ritual. Layne Chesney was 14 years old and a star softball player when the. She doesnt really know how her face looks under the dressing. It was always a mission to me of, 'Get me out of here.'. "I can't tell you how many times I've poured gas on a fire out of ignorance of the implications. She has a spirit like nobody else." The Glendale Heights Police Department said officers responded to an incident at the 1800 block of Marci Ct. around 10:16 p.m. Saturday. It was an homage to this years prom theme: a night of a thousand lights. 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