College student from Utah injured in grizzly bear attack – KSL
A brutal bear attack on Saturday left two Northwest College wrestlers “blood-soaked” after they were attacked during a hike with their teammates.
A group of four men, August Harrison, Orrin Jackson, Kendell Cummings, and Brady Lowry, were hunting antlers in the Shoshone National Forest.
As it was getting late, Lowry and Cummings split off to look for sheds for a few minutes before returning to the vehicle.
In the course of their journey, Cummings and Lowry encountered a grizzly bear after the group split up.
In an interview with Fox News, Lowry stated that the group hiked to higher ground after splitting up. As they hiked, they observed feces from a bear.
“I saw bear crap all over, so I looked at Kenny (Cummings) and said, ‘There is a grizzly bear here.'”
“As soon as I said that, a very thick bear emerged from the willows.” He continued, “It attacked me, charged me, tackled me off the cliff, and continued to attack me for a short period of time.
Lowry shared with reporters, “It was beating me up pretty good.”
Aside from being bitten in the right thigh, he also suffered a broken arm that had to be repaired with six screws and bolts. Eventually, he curled up in a ball as the Grizzly continued to attack. After watching in horror, Cummings reacted swiftly.
As a result, Cummings tried to get the bear’s attention in order to convince him to leave his friend alone. The bear eventually chased Cummings and pounced on him after Cummings kicked and pulled its hair.
Cummings told the station, “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.”
But the bear wasn’t done yet. It didn’t take long for the bear to come back for more.
“After the bear circled back around, it got me again, chewed on me, and that’s when it got my head and cheek again. And then it went away again for whatever reason,” Cummings shared.
After seeing Cummings, Harrison told Fox News that he was drenched in blood and that it was pouring down the hill from every angle. As Orrin and I carried him down to the bottom of the hill, where there was a field, we took turns carrying him.
The group proceeded down the trail and flagged down first responders once they had reached the bottom. Cummings was flown to a hospital by helicopter, while Lowry was transported by ambulance to the hospital. Cummings is expected to be released in the next few days, and Lowry was released on Monday.
According to Northwest’s wrestling coach, Cummings and Lowry will be sidelined from wrestling for the duration of their recovery from their injuries.
Despite the fact that they all had bear spray, the events that took place so quickly prevented them from using it.
Lowery said, “It happened so fast; there was no self-defense that could have been done in that situation.”
“When I was underneath that bear, I covered my head and curled up in a ball, so if it wanted to kill me, it could have killed me without any problem,” Lowry told KSL. “I felt that someone was watching out for my safety as well as Kendell’s.”
There have been numerous bear sightings in the area where the attack took place, according to officials with the Wyoming Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Dan Smith, the wildlife supervisor for Cody Region, said, “In the vicinity where the attack occurred, reports from landowners and hunters indicate there may be six to 10 different bears moving between agricultural fields and low elevation slopes.”
For more coverage on this story, see the additional news sources below:
Wyoming college wrestlers injured during bear attack, left ‘blood-soaked,’ coach says Fox News
Grizzly bear launches frightening attack on 2 Wyoming college wrestlers NY Post
Wyoming Game and Fish Department investigates after individuals are injured by grizzly bear Fish & Game
College student from Utah injured in grizzly bear attack KSL