US teen wakes up to find his head inside a bear's mouth

A teenager found himself in a horrifying situation whilst camping in the mountains northwest of Boulder, Colorado (US) on Sunday morning.

The boy, identified only by his first name, Dylan, told the Denver ABC-affiliate KMGH he was asleep when he woke to the sound of a crunching noise. He soon realised the sound was from a black bear's large teeth scraping against his skull. It was attempting to pull him out of his sleeping bag.

The terrified teen revealed the bear bit the back of his head and dragged him. “When it was dragging me, that was the slowest part. It felt like it went forever," he told KMGH.

The commotion alerted other campers and they tried to scare the bear away while the young boy fought for his life. The bear dropped Dylan after dragging him about 10 feet, the Washington Post reported.

He was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was learned he did not suffer any fatal injuries. Authorities were on the hunt for the animal, who AP reports will be euthanized.

Despite the frightening experience, Dylan admitted he is not afraid of bears or sleeping outdoors. "You just have to be aware and respect the animals," he told KMGH.

The teenager is reportedly a counsellor at Glacier View Ranch, a camp owned by the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh Day Adventists. It hosts a seven-week summer camp for children between the ages of seven to 18.

On Facebook, the camp revealed the bear was caught in a trap and that they are working "under protocols established by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife".