Subscribe
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Menu
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events

College wrestler saves teammate from grizzly bear mauling

in News
College wrestler saves teammate from grizzly bear mauling
EBS Staffby EBS Staff
October 19, 2022

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BILLINGS—A college wrestler from a small Wyoming school helped his teammate survive a grizzly mauling over the weekend by trying to wrestle the massive bear off his friend, eventually drawing a more brutal attack to himself.

The men are crediting their bonds as wrestling teammates at Northwest College in Cody, Wyoming, with helping them survive the attack Saturday evening southeast of Yellowstone National Park.

Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad

Brady Lowry of Cedar City, Utah, suffered a broken arm and puncture wounds in the initial attack after they surprised the bear while searching for antlers shed by elk and deer in the Shoshone National Forest.

“It shook me around and I didn’t know what to do,” Lowry told KSL-TV Monday in an interview from a hospital in Billings, Montana. “I curled up in a ball and it got me a few more times.”

His teammate—Kendell Cummings of Evanston, Wyoming—tried to stop the attack on Lowry by yelling, kicking and hitting the bear and pulling on its fur.

“I didn’t want to lose my friend. It was bad,” Cummings told the Deseret News. “There was a 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 quickly turned its fury onto Cummings.

“It tackled me, chewed me up a bit, and then when it was done it wandered off, and I started calling out for Brady to make sure he was alright,” Cummings told KSL.

The bear was only gone briefly.

“The bear circled back around, and it got me again, chewed on me, and that’s when it got my head and cheek,” Cummings said. “And then it went away again for whatever reason.”

Cummings pulled himself up and began looking for his teammates. In the meantime, Lowry was able to walk to an area with cell service and call 911.

Two other teammates—August Harrison of Vernal, Utah, and Orrin Jackson of Kersey, Colorado—helped the badly injured Cummings off the mountain, carrying him at times. Lowry was able to walk by himself.

Both ended up at Billings Clinic Hospital, where Cummings underwent surgery. Neither man was listed as a patient there on Tuesday, hospital spokesperson Zach Benoit said.

Other members of the wrestling team joined coach Jim Zeigler at the hospital to support their injured teammates.

“I’m proud of them, just the way they love each other, the way they protected each other, the way they stuck together,” Zeigler told the Deseret News. “I can’t imagine the horror, the terror of it. I don’t think they realized until after it was over how frightening it was. They just did what they did, helped each other survive and they lived to tell about it and I’m proud of them.”

Dallas Lowry credited Cummings with saving his son’s life.

“That young man over there—Kendell is a hero,” Dallas Lowry told KSL. “Any normal person would have turned and ran, but these bonds that they build in college athletics last forever.”

Brady Lowry echoed his father’s remarks.

“Me and (Cummings) would both be dead if it wasn’t all four of us—if it wasn’t for (Cummings) pulling the hair, if it wasn’t for (Harrison) running up and scaring the bear away and not coming back for more,” Brady Lowry said. “It was a team effort. We love each other. We’re going to be best friends for the rest of our lives because of this.”

Wyoming wildlife officials said they will not try to capture and relocate or kill the bear because it was a surprise attack and because there are many other bears in the area, making it difficult for them to determine which bear was involved.

Outlaw Realty Outlaw Realty
Outlaw Realty
ADVERTISEMENT

Listen

Hoary Marmot Podcast

Joe Borden & Michele Veale Borden

Lastest Episode
See More Episodes

Upcoming Events

Jun 19
11:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

June Show at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery

Jun 20
9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Community Yoga

Jun 20
11:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

June Show at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery

Jun 20
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at the Waypoint

Jun 21
9:00 am - 10:00 am Event Series

Planting the Past: Crafting Historic Seed Boxes

View Calendar
Event Calendar

Related Posts

Construction to start July 7 on 19th Avenue in Bozeman
News

Construction to start July 7 on 19th Avenue in Bozeman

June 18, 2025
Gallatin County Commission adopts safe roads action plan 
News

Gallatin County Commission adopts safe roads action plan 

June 17, 2025
BSRAD invests in ongoing community projects, microgrants 
Local

BSRAD invests in ongoing community projects, microgrants 

June 16, 2025
Big Sky OUT’s Summer Pride March draws support across Big Sky
Local

Big Sky OUT’s Summer Pride March draws support across Big Sky

June 16, 2025

An Outlaw Partners Publication

Facebook-f Instagram X-twitter Youtube

Explore Big Sky

  • About/Contact
  • Advertise
  • Publications
  • Subscriptions
  • Podcast
  • Submissions

Outlaw Brands

  • Mountain Outlaw
  • Plan Yellowstone
  • Big Sky PBR
  • Wildlands Music
  • Outlaw Partners
  • Outlaw Realty
  • Hey Bear

Copyright © 2025 Explore Big Sky | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Choices

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Yellowstone
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Real Estate
  • Events

©2024 Outlaw Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Big Sky Logo
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Subscribe
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube