Texas A&M Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony held 25 years after deadly incident

HOUSTON - Monday marks the 25-year anniversary since the Texas A&M bonfire collapse. The collapse killed 11 students and one former student, while injuring 27 others. 

In 1999, Texas A&M students were continuing the college's tradition of a bonfire ahead of that year's football game against the University of Texas. The collapse happened around 2:42 a.m. as students worked to complete the bonfire stack. 

"We never thought it was something that was just going to completely collapse like that," said John Comstock, who was a freshman at the time. 

REMEMBERING: Texas A&M Students React to Bonfire Collapse (1999)

The bonfire collapse killed one dozen people and injured many others when about 5,000 logs used to build the bonfire tumbled down. 

"The structure swayed slightly and then started to collapse," said Comstock. "The only thing I had time to do was to just grab on to the logs in front of me and ride the structure down."

First responders worked around the clock to free those who were trapped, including freshman at the time, John Comstock. 

"There was a log across my waist that had kind of turned sideways and then my right arm was pinned in between the logs that I had kind of grabbed on to and there was a log basically on my face," said Comstock. "When the structure collapsed I basically was waving my arm around and someone came up and grabbed my hand and said ‘we know where you are, just hang tight, you know, emergency services are on the way."

Get news, weather and so much more on the new FOX LOCAL app

Trapped among the heavy logs for seven and a half hours, Comstock was the last surviving student to be pulled out of the rubble. He sustained major injuries by losing a leg and becoming partially paralyzed. Despite his injuries, Comstock said he was one of the lucky ones able to make it out alive. The former Aggie, attending the annual Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony 25 years later. 

"Going out to the site, the memorial and stuff like that, it’s to provide the support and love for the parents of the students who were lost," said Comstock. 

On Monday, the Texas Aggies came together to honor those who lost their lives during the Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony at the Bonfire Memorial.

For more information on the ceremony, click here.