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Lucky to survive or unlucky to be there? A Canadian teenager has been rescued after he got trapped on a floating piece of ice - with three polar bears.

The 17-year-old had been on a hunting trip (asking for trouble?) with his uncle when he became stuck on the ice pan. He shot one of the bears in self defence and was suffering from hypothermia when he was eventually rescued.

It happened after a snowmobile the teen and his uncle were riding broke down. As they went to get help, they became separated. A large chunk of ice broke off, setting the youngster adrift. Squeaky bum time, you'll agree.

It got worse. While he was lost in the wilderness he encountered three polar bears, an adult and two older cubs.

The superbly named Ed Zebedee, director of the Government of Nunavut's protection services branch, said: "He did have to shoot the polar bear to protect himself. There were two other bears on the ice pan but they stayed away from him so he didn't shoot at them at all." Which was kind...

The teenager was spotted by a search plane later that day. Two search-and-rescue technicians parachuted to a larger ice hunk a short distance away to mount their successful rescue attempt.

Glad the lad's safe but maybe it's best to let polar bears hunt in polar bear territory. Just a thought.