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ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A 21-year-old woman is in critical condition after being rescued from the jaws of a grizzly bear in Alaska.

A spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers says the bear attacked the woman and wrapped its jaws around her head before someone managed to scare it away.

The spokeswoman said Abby Sisk of Ogden, Utah, was undergoing surgery.

Sisk "suffered some pretty major lacerations to her face and head," Beth Ipsen said.

Officials at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage said Sisk was listed in critical condition.

The attack happened late Wednesday as Sisk, a seasonal employee of the Kenai Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing, was returning to the lodge after a hike.

She was about 25 metres from the lodge on a gravel path when the bear came out of the bushes and attacked her.

"It had her head in its jaws and it dragged her a few feet," Ipsen said.

A guest at the lodge heard what he thought at first was laughter, and then he heard screaming. He looked out a window and saw the bear on top of Sisk.

He ran outside, confronted the bear and managed to scare it away, Ipsen said.

"We're surprised this happened because this was so close to the lodge," Ipsen said.

Sisk is a housekeeper at the lodge. She started her summer job in May. Officials said her mother was en route to Anchorage on Thursday.

"She's been having a good time, doing a good job," said Kenai Princess Lodge general manager Dan Michels. "She's a great employee."

Lodge staff called all guests after the 11 p.m. attack, urging them to stay inside and to use shuttles to the main lodge.

Troopers returned to the lodge Thursday morning to look for the bear, but Ipsen said it proved to be a difficult task.

"We have reports of 25 brown bear in the area," she said. "It'd be hard to figure out which bear was responsible.''