One of the greatest rock drummers of all time, Rick Allen has been a member of Def Leppard for almost 35 years.

Sadly, he is currently going through a difficult time as a result of a totally unprovoked attack last week.

On March 13, the attack took place in front of the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Allen was enjoying a cigarette when Max Hartley, a 19-year-old spring breaker from Ohio, approached from behind. Allen was struck in the head by the young man, who had been drinking heavily, and was then knocked to the ground.

The police report states that Allen hurt himself after banging his head on the floor. A brave woman tried to step in to save Allen and came to his aid, but Hartley chased her away.

The attacker grabbed the woman by her hair and started pulling at her. While she was on the ground, Hartley “continued to attack her,” according to the police.

The woman tried to get away from her attacker by running into a hotel. Hartley, in contrast, managed to flee the scene and make his way to a nearby parking garage, where he started vandalising cars before being apprehended by the police.

According to the recently made public 911 audio tapes, Allen and the victim were attacked in front of the hotel during a tumultuous incident.

One woman reported to the dispatcher that “apparently a guest,” some male assaulted her and was actually beating her up in front of the front of our building.

A second distressed caller, the owner of a local eatery, also requested assistance.

“Deliver the police here immediately!…

I’m sitting on a suspect, he muttered.

Many witnesses were stunned by the incident, including admirers of the legendary Rick Allen. Some people were initially worried that Allen’s rescuer, a good Samaritan, was his wife, but she wasn’t.

Allen provided an update to his fans a week after the incident and thanked everyone for their “amazing support” in the statement.

“Your prayers and love are greatly appreciated. Thankfully, my wife Lauren was not around when the incident took place. We are currently all together and recovering in a secure environment, the drummer wrote on Twitter.

Allen visited Florida last week to do a performance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The iconic musician, who was renowned for both his prodigious talent and humility, tragically lost his left arm in an accident in 1984.

The fans dubbed English-born Allen “The Thunder God” and he continued to play the drums with one arm, but he had to learn how again.

When an infection started, they wanted to re-attach it, but they decided against it because it was so close to my heart. Looking back, the doctor informed me that I would have need several surgeries if the re-attachment had been successful. I would not have desired to experience that. In 2011, Allen declared, “I’ve experienced enough misery, both physically and spiritually.

Allen has experienced a lot in his life, as one might expect, but it is obvious that the heinous and unwarranted attack in Florida had a profound impact on him.

Allen stated on Facebook, “We are concentrating on healing for everyone affected.”

“We invite you to assist us in our mission to transform compassion and empathy from shock and disorientation. We are aware that this act of brutality may trigger a great deal of individuals.

The 19-year-old Hartley was accused of four counts of criminal mischief; according to his attorney, his client has “never been in issue with the law before,” according to the Miami Herald.