Mothers of snow cave teens thank rescuers

Published 8:37 am Monday, August 25, 2008

SEATTLE — A 14-year-old who was trapped in a collapsing ice cave is having surgery on a broken ankle at a Seattle hospital.

The boy and a 17-year-old friend also have had surgery for broken bones in their backs, and the 17-year-old was able to stand Sunday for the first time.

The Seattle boys’ mothers talked about Thursday’s collapse near Snoqualmie Pass and thanked rescuers in a news conference today at Harborview Medical Center.

The mothers and firefighters from Eastside Fire and Rescue who cut through ice with a chain saw described the elation they felt at hearing the voices of 17-year-old Alec Corbett and 14-year-old Alessandro Gelmini.

All agreed the survival was miraculous, as the boys fell next to boulders that prevented them from being completely crushed.

(with information from KOMO-TV, KING-TV, KIRO-TV)