Boy, 12, stays alive after skiing into den with bear and three cubs

A Swedish boy of 12 has survived being mauled by a 450kg bear after accidentally skiing into its den.

Ollie Frisk found himself unable to avoid plunging into the bear's den, which housed a mother and three cubs, after going off piste. The schoolboy was left curled in a ball as the 2.4-metre animal, thought to be a brown bear, jumped on top of him, clawing and biting until he "thought he was going to die", Independent Online reports.

Ollie had been skiing with four friends when he strayed into the lair on Friday. But he managed to escape and his friends helped drive off the beast.

He said: "She threw herself on top of me. It was only when I stopped trying to fight that I was given a chance.

"It then became quiet and she stepped over me and left, thinking I was dead", Mirror informs.