Dave Roland

Dave Roland (1954/55-6 April 2020) was a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster who appeared in a photo of the aftermath of the disaster.
He was born in Toxteth and lived in the Woolton area of Liverpool.<ref name=le-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
He worked at Doorset Technology in Speke and planned to retire at the end of 2020.<ref name=le-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
He was a fan of David Bowie.<ref name=le-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
Hillsborough Disaster
He and his friend John Owen tried to help Henry Rogers, a 17-year-old who died on the pitch.<ref nameie-hillsborough-survivor-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/><ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/> He contacted Henry's parents to let them know their son had not been alone when he died and he attended the funeral.<ref nameie-hillsborough-survivor-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/><ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
His daughter Michelle Hopwood said that it took a long time for him to open up to others about his experiences at the match where he was pinned against a crush barrier, saw fear on those trapped around him and tried to help a young boy nearby.<ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/> He slowly stopped attending football matches after the Hillsborough disaster, as it had become too painful for him.<ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
He and his wife Christine separated two years after the disaster although they remained friendly up to her death in 2019.<ref name=le-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
He appeared in a photograph of the aftermath of the disaster, sitting with his head in his hands after the disaster.<ref nameie-hillsborough-survivor-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/> He often denied the photo was of him though his family believed that he said so because the memories of that day were too painful for him to bear.<ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
He testified at the 2015 enquiry into the Hillsborough disaster.<ref nameie-hillsborough-survivor-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/><ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/> According to his daughter, he found a sense of closure in testifying and felt it was important although he was shaking on the car journey to the courthouse.<ref name=le-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
Death
He was healthy though his daughter believed he contracted COVID-19 before the lockdown on football.<ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/> He showed only symptoms of tiredness but he collapsed and was taken into hospital.<ref namele-tributes-hero-hillsborough-disaster-who-died-after-coronavirus/>
His daughter announced that he had died at the Royal Liverpool hospital aged 65 on 6 April 2020 after contracting COVID-19.<ref name=ie-hillsborough-survivor-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/>

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