A Russian boxer is in critical condition after he reportedly fought off a bear that had just killed his friend.
Professional pugilist Ilya Medvedev, 23, and his friend Vyacheslav “Slava” Dudnik, 48, were fishing in the Siberian Irtysh River when they were attacked by a wild brown bear, the New York Post reported. The bear mauled Dudnik, killing him, then turned its attention to Medvedev.
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Medvedev reportedly shot at the beast four times with a gun, then finished the animal off with a knife after the bullets failed to stop it, according to the Post.
“I heard screams. They shouted, ‘A bear!’” eyewitness Denis Chebotar told East 2 West news. Chebotar was reportedly near the water when he heard screams in the trees. He says he “saw Slava dead” and Medvedev “finishing the bear off with a knife” when he arrived on the scene.
Chebotar says he then dragged Medvedev to the boat and brought him to the hospital.
Medvedev’s trainer, Dmitry Kosenko, said the boxer suffered serious wounds from the attack but is expected to recover.
“After the bear attack, Ilya is in an artificial coma,” Kosenko said. “According to the doctors, nothing threatens his life yet.”
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“But you understand what kind of injuries can be after a bear attack. And Ilya will have a very long rehabilitation. They will inform about the details. Everything turned out spontaneously, and indeed Ilya stabbed the bear with a knife,” he continued.
Russian authorities have begun an investigation into the incident, the Post reports.
