A three-year-old boy who went missing for two days has told his family he "hung out with a bear" in the woods.

Casey Hathaway was found by professional search and rescue teams near Cayton in North Carolina on Thursday, Sky News reported quoting ABC News.

Craven County Sheriff's Office said they responded to a tip that the youngster was heard calling for his mother.

Casey was found entangled in thorny shrubs about half a mile from where he went missing.

In a Facebook post that appears to have since been deleted, his aunt Breanna Hathaway said that Casey was "smiling and talking" after he was found.