Two college wrestlers werehospitalized after surviving a grizzly bear attackin Wyoming, which they say came out of nowhere.
Brayden Lowry and Kendell Cummings were in Shoshone National Forest on Saturday with two other teammates, Orrin Jackson and August Harrison, when they happened across the bear, according toABC News.
“For us to walk out of there alive, all four of us, it’s a miracle,” Lowry, who was attacked first, told the outlet.
“The bear came running out of the trees. I didn’t even see it until it was right in front of me,” added the student. “I just knew I had to protect my head and just kind of fight for life, you know — it’s life or death.”
When Cummings tried to help his friend, he was also attacked.
“It knocked me onto the ground and then, with its head, pushed me on the ground all the way up against the trees and then kind of pinned me,” the student recalled.
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After escaping and safely to their friends, Cummings and Lowry were taken to a local hospital. Lowry had a compound fracture in his left arm while Cummings received 60 staples in his head, according to ABC News.
A representative from Northwest College previously told PEOPLE that both students “are expected to recover fully.”
“For those of you who have not heard, four members of the Trapper Wrestling team were on a hike on Saturday afternoon whentwo of them encountered a grizzly bear,” college president Lisa Watson wrote in an email sent to students and staff that was also posted to Northwest College Trapper Athletics' Facebook.
“Due to the suddenness of the encounter, they were not able to deploy their bear spray,” Watson continued. “After the attack, they were able to return to their vehicle with the help of their teammates and sought medical attention.”
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department said on Monday that they areinvestigating the incident.
“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,” Cody Region wildlife supervisor Dan Smith said in a statement. “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.”
“This is a sad and unfortunate situation,” he added. “We wish both victims a full and speedy recovery.”
source: people.com
