Tyler Rogers, bass player for the Oklahoma emo-punk act Cliffdiver, nearly died after he was struck by a flying metal chain that may have severed a semi truck while driving to a gig with the Punk Rock festival Bowling this weekend in Las Vegas.
According to a band post Facebook page from guitarist-singer Matt Ehler, Rogers lost consciousness, and drummer Eliot Cooper had to act quickly, moving the bassist from the driver’s seat. Cooper was able to stop the van safely, but Rogers was seriously injured. Paramedics arrived and Rogers was taken to a nearby hospital.
Regarding the injuries, Ehler wrote, “[Rogers’] The carotid artery was punctured, his jugular was torn, he had fractures in his neck, lost about 2 liters of blood and needed emergency surgery.” Fortunately, Rogers survived and is recovering. The band launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for medical bills and expenses, and so far it has raised over $50,000.
The cuts are gruesome, as Ehler explains: “Please remember that I will be talking about gore and other content that some may be sensitive to. I’ll also include some photos that might be considered gruesome or visceral, but we’ll leave the worst of our photos out because we don’t think they’re worth sharing. “
Cliffdiver doesn’t know how long Tyler will stay in the hospital and what his recovery will look like but promises to support him and his family going forward. “We know he won’t be back at work for a long time and considering the amount of costs incurred from these events in addition to lost work for the foreseeable future, we are asking for any donations to it will help. situation as smooth as possible,” added Ehler. “We hope to raise enough to cover all medical expenses, lost income, rehabilitation, repairs and injuries and whatever else is needed to make sure Tyler, his family and the band make a full recovery and recovery.”
The band also thanked fans for their support and asked that they not contact Tyler, his family members or the current band members, “because it’s all a bit overwhelming and we’re trying to focus on fix and bring Tyler home.”
Cliffdiver is signed to SideOneDummy Records, and released their latest album, Exercise Your Demonsin 2022.
Those who have questions about the incident or who wish to leave encouraging comments are encouraged to get in touch via Cliffdiver’s social media accounts or contact the band via official website. Donations can be made through GoFundMe.