College Wrestler Tries to Pull Grizzly Off Teammate, Gets Attacked

Two college wrestlers from Wyoming were attacked by a grizzly bear during a hike outside Cody on Saturday. Four members of the Northwest College wrestling team went hiking and horn hunting (hunting for shed antlers, per KSL) after practice, and were coming down a mountain in the late afternoon or early evening when they got separated. The grizzly appeared and attacked Brady Lowry without warning, according to Cowboy State Daily. His teammate Kendell Cummings tried to pull the bear off Lowry, at which point the bear turned and started attacking Cummings. All four men were carrying bear spray, but the bear attacked so suddenly they didn't have time to deploy it.

The injured teammates were reunited with the other two, who helped them back to their vehicle; they also called 911 and emergency responders came to the scene. Lowry and Cummings were hospitalized with serious injuries, but are both expected to recover. "I am so grateful for those who assisted these brave young men in the aftermath of this terrifying ordeal and that no lives were lost," Northwest College President Lisa Watson said in a statement. "It took quick thinking and no small amount of bravery for this to have ended without tragedy." (More Wyoming stories.)