Evanston man recognized by city for saving friend’s life in grizzly attack
Nov 1, 2022, 10:22 PM | Updated: Nov 2, 2022, 9:50 am
EVANSTON, Wyo. — A Wyoming man who fought off a grizzly bear and saved his friend’s life was recognized Tuesday by the city of Evanston.
Kendell Cummings received a huge honor from his hometown by getting the key to the city. KSL was first to talk to him from the hospital two weeks ago, along with his friend Brady Lowry from Cedar City, Utah, who tonight he was credited for saving.
“It was all instinct,” Cummings said of the attack on his friend. “The bear was just mauling him and I kind of walked up and grabbed the bear and pulled it off of him.”
Honored for risking his own life to save a friend from a grizzly bear attack!
Tonight at 10:00, hear from Kendell Cummings about the moment he grabbed a bear off his friend when shed hunting in Wyoming and why this honor from his hometown is so special @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/afj8sZOGkS— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) November 2, 2022
On Oct. 15, he was out shed hunting with his wrestling teammate when a bear bit into Lowry’s arm, shaking it until it fractured. Cummings jumped into help and grabbed the bear’s coat in an attempt to stop the attack.
“It’s nice to know that what I did, people saw, and maybe they learned something and they will kind of do the same, looking out for people,” Cummings said.
Evanston City Mayor Kent Williams said Tuesday’s recognition was the least they could do for Cummings.
“My thinking was, ‘Let’s give him a key to the city and just let him know we are proud of him,’” Williams said. “He went to the aid of his friend, and in my mind, showed incredible courage and determination, and we are just awfully darn proud of him.”
Cummings said he and Lowry are now focusing on getting back to normal life and getting back to classes.
