The 13th Man: Bonfire survivor John Comstock shares his story

On Nov. 18, 1999, 12 people died and 27 more were injured after Texas A&M's Aggie Bonfire collapsed during its construction at 2:42 a.m. As the last surviving student to be pulled from the rubble, John Comstock remembered that tragic night on TexAgs Live.

Key notes from John Comstock interview

• I kept that press release that Texas A&M had written and was going to release if I didn't survive. Moses Hall was pulling a double shift. We were working 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. or 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. I made the second shift out there. When we started and opened the site, they told us to climb up as high as we could get. I got to the top of the third tier. I started calling in logs.
   
• A high school buddy was in the swing above me. He got down around 2:30 a.m. and asked if I was going down with him. I told him I would be down in a minute. At around 2:42 a.m., the structure swayed and went. I only had time to grab the logs in front of me and ride the structure down.
   
• There were no noises or anything that indicated something was wrong. It just swayed and then went. The higher you were, the less room you had to stand on. I had about the size of two coffee cans to stand on. There was nothing I could do except grab the stuff in front of me.
   
• I was aware of everything that happened. I was only knocked out for a couple of seconds. When I came to, it was still the initial panic of everyone running around and trying to find people. Someone came up and grabbed my hand. That was a good thing because it put me in a calmer state, knowing that someone knew where I was.
   
• It took about seven and a half hours for me to get out. Because everything was wired together, they had to get everyone else below me out first.
   
• I was not sure if I was going to survive. I thought I might be paralyzed because I could not feel my legs. I was 19 then, so when I got out, I thought I would be fine. When I got to the hospital, there were so many people working on me that I realized I might be in trouble.
   
• We never thought it would collapse like that. We were in shock, and we weren't sure what to think. I tried to be as polite as possible while the firefighters were working to get us out.
   
• This is a difficult time of year, and the five-year anniversaries are a little more difficult. It happened 25 years ago, and life moves on. For everyone involved, we try our best to get through this time of the year and spend time with families for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
   
• I am hopeful about this week. I always think about the 1999 game. I have it on VHS tape. People say the Aggies could have beaten anyone that day. It holds a special place for me.
   
• After the Bonfire tragedy, I attended about two years of community college and rehabbed. Then, I came back to Texas A&M and Moses Hall. I slogged away 12 hours a semester until I graduated in 2010. I spent some time searching for a job before I found one as a financial specialist for A&M Systems. I met my wife, who already had a five-year-old son. We just recently added another son, who is nine months old.
   
• Texas A&M holds a special place for me. The collapse was a difficult thing. I have always loved A&M and wanted to return and get my Aggie Ring. People tried to give me their rings and wanted me to take them. I said no because I was going to come back and get my own. Neither of my parents graduated college, so it was a big deal for me to get my ring and degree.
   
• My father passed away when I was 17. I lost my mom about five years after the collapse. That wasn't easy because she was my support base. She was always there for me during rehab. That was tough. I ended up getting married and having kids and a family. I went from having nobody to a full family.
   
• I can segway into any motivational message from the Bonfire collapse. I normally tell how I became known as the "13th Man." I use it to help people through their dark times and persevere. When I tell the story of the Bonfire collapse, I hope it inspires someone. I don't recognize that I inspire people. I am just a regular guy. I am glad that my story has helped people.
   
• I will be watching the game on Saturday.