College wrestler saves teammate in wild grizzly bear attack

Cody, Wyoming - Two college wrestlers fought for their lives – and each other – as a wild grizzly bear attacked them in a forest.

A college wrestler saved his teammate's life as the duo was attacked by a wild grizzly bear while hunting in Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming (stock image).
A college wrestler saved his teammate's life as the duo was attacked by a wild grizzly bear while hunting in Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming (stock image).  © JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER v AFP

Nothing says "best friends" quite like being willing to wrestle a bear for your bestie.

Northwest College sophomores Kendell Cummings and Brady Lowry are lucky to be alive after a grizzly attacked the duo while they were hunting.

According to a statement from Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department, the pair "encountered the bear at close range in heavy cover while recreating and antler hunting west of the Bobcat Houlihan trailhead on the Shoshone National Forest."

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The grizzly reportedly attacked Lowry first, biting his back, butt, and shoulder. Cummings tried coming to the rescue at first by throwing things and yelling at the bear, and eventually pulling on its coat.

"I didn’t want to lose my friend," he said in an interview afterwards.

"It was bad. There was big ol’ bear on top of him. I could have run and potentially lost a friend, or get him off and save him."

The bear then began viciously attacking Cummings, while an injured Lowry climbed up a ridge to get cell phone service to call 911.

They were joined by two of their other wrestling teammates as the group waited for dispatchers to arrive. After Park County Search and Rescue showed up, both boys were rushed to the hospital.

"He definitely saved my life," Lowry said of Cummings' bravery. "If it wasn't for him, if I was by myself, I would not have made it off that mountain."

After all, what are BFFs for?

Cummings has undergone multiple surgeries and remains in the hospital, while Lowry was also injured and has been released. Fortunately, both boys are expected to make full recoveries.

Cover photo: JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER v AFP

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