Lewiston shooting survivor reaches new milestones

LEWISTON, Maine (WABI) - About a year and a half after surviving the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history, Ben Dyer is doing something many thought may never again be possible: throwing four perfect cornhole bags in a row.

That’s after he was shot five times by Robert Card.

Dyer was at Schemengee’s Bar and Grille on Oct. 25, 2023 where 18 people were killed and over a dozen were injured in the Lewiston mass shooting.

“I shouldn’t be here. When I showed up at the hospital, I was already down at least 3.5 pints of blood,” said Dyer.

He recalled the night of the shooting.

“I looked at the shooter, Robert Card, in the face. That’s when I lost this finger,” said Dyer. “I lost my right index finger. I’ve lost my whole right bicep and tricep is gone. I was shot through my right shoulder and a couple times through my legs.”

Dyer was 47 years old when he was told he could no longer use his dominant hand.

“I lost the use of my right hand and my right arm, but it didn’t lose me. And that’s key. I’m still who I am, I just had to find my way back to being who I was with one less limb,” said Dyer.

Fast-forward to April of this year, he finally made his first four-bagger since before the shooting.

It’s a term used when a player scores all four beanbags into the hole during a single round.

Cornhole brought him to Schemengee’s that night. Now, it’s helping him heal.

“It felt good because I’d been fighting for it,” he said.

“I was so proud of him. I was jumping up and down and ran to him and gave him a big hug,” said Erin Cote.

Cote is Dyer’s cornhole partner.

Her husband, Troy, was also at Schemengee’s playing cornhole that night.

After the shooting, she was worried her husband wouldn’t play cornhole again.

It was quite the opposite because this group helped her husband like they helped Ben.

“This family, they came together and helped support him. Sorry, I’m getting emotional. They really helped his recovery in a lot of ways,” said Cote.

That family’s the Maineiacs- a group of cornhole players that started their own foundation to help survivors of the Lewiston mass shooting and all Mainers.

The Maineiacs Cornhole Family Fund is hosting its 2nd Annual Spring Fling this weekend, May 31.

“This is the big fundraiser for the year,” said Dyer.

“We are taking control of how we respond. And we are responding with love and empathy and kindness to everybody. And I think that’s a message we all need,” said Cote.

To learn how you can contribute to the Maine Cornhole Family Fund, you can head to their Facebook page.