While hunting over the weekend, two Wyoming college wrestlers were surprised by a grizzly bear that attacked the pair and left them severely injured, according to officials.
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department shared the news of the attack in a press release. The release said that Kendall Cummings and Brady Lowry, who are sophomores at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, were mauled and left with severe injuries while antler hunting.
The wrestlers were in heavy cover when they were met with a "surprise encounter" from the grizzly bear. Thankfully the pair was able to call 911 after the attack.
The two were also with two other wrestlers who helped them get back to the trailhead as Park County Search and Rescue made its way to them.
Cummings spoke with the Wyoming paper Cowboy State Daily, sharing how he fought off the beast.
"I grabbed and yanked him hard by the ear," Cummings told the paper. "I could hear when his teeth would hit my skull, I could feel when he'd bite down on my bones, and they'd kind of crunch."
A fundraiser page has been created to help the college students pay off the medical expenses incurred from the attack. The page said that one of them was airlifted to a nearby hospital while another was taken by an ambulance. Both underwent surgeries to repair the damage done by the bear.
The attack is being investigated by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. The agency shared that there has been "an abundance of bear activity at low elevations." It urged people in the area to be cautious as there "may be six to 10 different bears" active in the area.
"Game and Fish will continue to monitor bear activity in the area and work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make management decisions in the best interest of public safety," Cody Region wildlife supervisor Dan Smith said.
Lowry shared with the Daily Press his gratitude for Cummings, who he credits with saving his life.
"I don't know what I'm going to pay him back, I don't. I owe him everything," Lowry said. "We'll be best friends for the rest of our lives."
Both students are expected to make a full recovery from the injuries they sustained.
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