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Northwest College in Wyoming launched a fundraiser after two college wrestlers, Kendell Cummings and Brady Lowry, suffered serious injuries in a gruesome grizzly bear attack while out hunting near Cody, Wyoming.
On Saturday, October 15, Kendell Cummings and Brady Lowry were on a hunting trip with two other wrestling teammates, Orrin Jackson and August Harrison, on the west of the Bobcat Houlihan trailhead in Shoshone National Forest. The two other teammates were separated from Cummings and Lowry who were mauled by a bear in a “sudden, surprise encounter.”
In a statement, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said Cummings and Lowry encountered the bear while hunting for antlers in the area.
Kendell Cummings and Brady Lowry were transported to an area hospital, where they were treated for their injuries. According to the fundraiser created by their school, the donations would go towards the students' medical bills.
Kendell Cummings created a distraction to save his teammates' lives
According to NBC News affiliate KSL-TV, the bear first charged at Lowry, who broke his arm while trying to fight off the attack. Outlining the ordeal, he said:
“It shook me around and I didn’t know what to do. . . I curled up in a ball and it got me a few more times.”
Lowry told the outlet that Kendell Cummings saved his life by drawing the animal's attention away from his injured teammate. He added that when Cummings failed to steer the bear away from Lowry by yelling, he provoked the bear with a physical attack to gain his attention. The bear then tackled Cummings.
In an interview with KSL TV from the Montana hospital bed, Cummings described the terrifying scene, stating:
“It tackled me, chewed me up a bit, and then when it was done, it wandered off, and I started calling out for Brady to make sure he was alright.”
According to the outlet, Lowry then sought out his other teammates and called the emergency services. He told the outlet that with the help of teammates Orrin Jackson and August Harrison, a resident and another hunter in the area, they were able to find rescue services at the trailhead.
Cummings, who suffered lacerations to his head and body, was airlifted to a hospital in Billings, Montana, while Lowry was rushed to Cody Regional Health by ambulance. He was later airlifted to the same hospital as his wrestling teammate.
While sitting next to Cummings, Lowry told KSLTV:
“I’m just glad we have each other still; glad all four of us walk off that mountain.”
He added:
I don’t think anyone else lesser than a wrestling team with a bond as we have – they wouldn’t have handled it as well as we did.”
According to the fundraiser, both students are expected to make a full recovery after undergoing multiple surgeries.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said that areas in the South Fork and North Fork of the Shoshone River, Clarks Fork River, and Greybull River drainage have seen a significant increase in bear activity. They asked visitors to be vigilant around the area
