Even if you do your best to be cautious and prepared, terrible things can happen, as on the day a grizzly bear attacked Brady Lowry, a university student from Wyoming (USA).
Fortunately, his friend Kendell Cummings was there. In an extremely dangerous situation, and risking his own life, Cummings confronted the grizzly to save his friend.
It is an inspiring (and honestly quite frightening) story of courage and sacrifice, which shows the power of brotherhood and friendship. Here is how it happened.
Lowry and Cummings met because they were part of the same wrestling team at Northwest College. With their teammates Orrin Jackson and August Harrison, they had decided to go "shed hunting," that is, searching for the antlers that deer shed each spring. It is a popular local pastime and an enjoyable way to get outdoor exercise, enjoying the thrill of the hunt without actually hunting.
The shed hunting trip was not a reckless decision. The young men are all experienced hikers, and they brought bear spray and firearms when they set out after Saturday morning wrestling practice.
At first, the four boys walked together, but at one point, Lowry and Cummings were separated from the others by nearly a kilometer. That's when the terrifying nightmare became reality, as a bear stealthily approached Lowry and attacked him before he could grab the bear spray.
Cummings began to do everything he could think of to save Lowry. He started shouting and throwing objects at the bear, and when that didn't work, he jumped on the animal, grabbed its ear, and tried to pull it away from his friend.
The bear turned its brute strength against him. As reported by the Cowboy State Daily,
Kendell Cummings could feel the bear's jaws tearing his flesh and penetrating his skull, but the adrenaline coursing through his body made the sensation painless. "I could feel when its teeth hit my skull, when it bit my bones and they crunched."
Mr. Cummings says he first fought the bear, but it became clear that this attempt would be futile. The beast then stopped its attack and left. The two boys, seriously injured, had to walk eight kilometers. Cummings was losing a lot of blood and could barely stand.
Lowry called for help from his teammates Harrison and Jackson and managed to call 911, the emergency number. The person who answered the call said to get to safety and leave Cummings on the spot, who would then be helped.
Once again, friendship and brotherhood prevailed. The three young men told the Sheridan Press that they didn't even consider leaving their friend alone.
Harrison and Jackson carried Cummings on their shoulders down the mountain.
"That's what the wrestling team does – we go to hell and back together," Lowry told the Cowboy State Daily. "We are brothers. We would do anything for each other."
Rescuers found them as they were approaching the trailhead, and a rescue helicopter took Cummings to the hospital, where Lowry joined him later in an ambulance. The wrestling team and coach also arrived.
Also read | Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor, Pray for Us
As horrible as this incident was, it leaves an important lesson. It takes courage to put oneself in danger for the good of a friend.
The bond between these men is truly heroic, and their story will be remembered.
As Lowry said, "We will be best friends for the rest of our lives."
This article was originally published by Aleteia (Article Link).