through YouTube/KSL-TV
A pair of Northwest School wrestlers are fortunate to be alive after tussling with a large grizzly bear within the woods close to Cody, Wyoming, throughout a weekend searching journey.
The group of 4 teammates had completed antler searching and had damaged into two teams heading in direction of their autos when wrestler Brady Lowry observed bear feces within the path.
“I noticed bear crap throughout, and I checked out Kenny and mentioned, ‘There's a grizzly bear right here,” Lowry advised KSL-TV, referring to teammate Kendell Cummings who had stayed again with him to seek for extra shedded antlers. “And proper after I mentioned that, the bear got here out of the willows. It was thick. It got here at me and charged me and tackled me off this cliff into this gully and was going at me for a bit bit.”
The bear then chomped Lowry’s arm, breaking it instantly. His teammate Cummings then used his wrestling expertise to assault the bear, he advised KSL-TV. He mentioned he kicked the bear, pulled its fur, and tried to distract it earlier than it launched Lowry and began chasing him. “It tackled me, chewed me up a bit, after which when it was carried out, it wandered off, and I began calling out for Brady to ensure he was alright,” Cummings advised the TV station from the hospital.
Lowry, who was capable of get again up, then ran to search out the opposite teammates who have been forward of them. They known as 911 and returned to seek for Cummings, solely to comprehend the bear had come again for a second assault.
“We heard Kenny yell, and he got here out of the bushes the place the bear was at and was lined in blood. He walked all the way down to us. Gus ran as much as him, and we have been in all probability 5 miles from the trailhead the place we parked and a few mile to the underside of the hill,” he mentioned, referring to August Harrison.
Cummings, who was clearly fortunate to have survived each assaults, described the horrific ordeal to KSL-TV. “The bear circled again round, and it obtained me once more, chewed on me, and that’s when it obtained my head and cheek,” Cummings mentioned. “After which it went away once more for no matter cause.”
A neighborhood hunter then helped the younger males to the trailhead the place they have been met by first responders. Cummings was transported to a hospital in Billings, Montana, by helicopter, and Lowry was taken by ambulance.
Wyoming Sport & Fish Division, which displays bears within the space, confirmed the assault in a press launch and warned there have been many bears within the space, describing the assault on the wrestlers as a “sudden, shock” encounter with a grizzly bear. “Within the neighborhood the place the assault occurred, studies from landowners and hunters point out there could also be six to 10 completely different bears shifting between agricultural fields and low elevation slopes,” spokesman Dan Smith mentioned. “Sport and Fish will proceed to watch bear exercise within the space and work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make administration selections in the very best curiosity of public security.”
It's not clear if the bear will likely be euthanized as soon as recognized.
The 2 injured wrestlers will sit out the remainder of the season, coach Jim Zeigler advised Fox information. “There’s actual severe puncture holes and wounds,” he mentioned, referring to Cummings’ facial wounds. “He took plenty of staples to his head and in addition some beauty surgical procedure for his cheek.”