Missionaries, including BYU player, injured in attack

Brigham Young University basketball player Chris Collinsworth, currently serving

an LDS Church mission in Australia, and his companion are recovering from

serious injuries after being attacked by three men Tuesday night in Sydney.

None of the injuries, however, are life threatening.

Elder Collinsworth and his companion (an Elder Ferguson from Montana) were

jumped from behind by three men, believed to be in their 20s, about 8:30 p.m. as

they were walking back to their apartment. When the first attacker jumped on

Elder Collinsworth's back, he flipped the assailant over his shoulder and onto

the pavement.

As Elder Collinsworth was busy fighting off the first attacker, a second man

then began assaulting him. When Elder Ferguson tried to pull the second attacker

away, the third man stabbed and slashed both of the missionaries with a small

knife. During the tussle, the attackers managed to pull Elder Collinsworth's

shirt up over his face and tackle him to the ground. While on the ground, and

with his shirt over his face, Elder Collinsworth was kicked and slugged

repeatedly.

"They beat him up pretty good," said Jeff Collinsworth, father of Elder

Collinsworth.

Fortunately, a man passing by in a car saw the scuffle, pulled his car up and

shined his headlights toward the attack — which scared the assailants away.

"That man probably saved their lives," Jeff Collinsworth said. "At the very

least, Chris probably would have lost his teeth."

Elder Collinsworth spent Tuesday night in a Sydney hospital with a