By KOMO Staff and Associated Press

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. - The family of two teenage boys who were rescued Thursday from beneath tons of ice have released photos taken seconds before an ice cave collapsed on them, and also of the successful rescue that followed.

The boys were hiking with their mothers and their sisters Thursday two miles up a trail in the Denny Creek area, 50 miles east of Seattle, when they wandered into the mouth of the ice cave for a photo opportunity.

The two Seattle teens, 17-year-old Alec Corbett and 14-year-old Allesandro Gelmini, were about to leave the cave when there was a tremendous roar as the roof of the cave collapsed.

"It was just a deafening crash," said Matthew Miller, 15, another hiker who was at the scene outside the cave. "It really got your attention."

Family members and other hikers at the scene attempted an impromptu rescue, but quickly realized that they would need help from trained emergency personnel to extricate the two boys from the ice.

The boys' mothers called 911, which triggered a rescue effort involving several agencies and about 25 rescue personnel.

Click here to view a transcript of the 911 call from the boys' mothers.

The rescuers used chainsaws, axes and shovels to reach the teens, who were buried under at least six feet of ice and trapped against rocks.

About four hours after the cave collapsed, rescuers made voice contact with them, and an hour after that they were able to free one teen. The other was pulled out about a half-hour later.

A Navy helicopter flew them to the hospital Thursday night.

The Seattle teens both suffered broken backs in the accident and are having surgery Friday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, family members said.

The two also were suffering from hypothermia when rescued, King County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said.

Corbett was upgraded Friday from serious to satisfactory condition, his family said in a statement released by Harborview Medical Center.

Gelmini, his neighbor in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, remained in serious condition. In addition to a broken back, he suffered facial fractures and a broken ankle, his family said.

"I don't think there's anybody who thought we were going to bring out two live, talking patients," Eastside Fire and Rescue Lt. Dean deAlteriis said after the rescue.

The ice cave was in a ravine bordered by sheer rock walls on either side. The ravine had filled with snow, and a small creek, or cascade of melted snow, had carved out a cave, with a roof of compacted snow and ice. The boys were several yards inside the mouth of the cave when it collapsed. It had likely been weakened by recent rain and warm weather.

The chainsaw that proved so invaluable during the rescue was nearly an afterthought, deAlteriis said. As rescuers headed to the ravine, one called out, "Hey, let's take a chainsaw." The idea was that they might need it to cut trees for purposes of shoring up a wall of the ice cave or a trench.

"Without that chainsaw, different story," he said, shaking his head.

In their statements, the families thanked rescuers and other hikers who "risked their lives" to help.

"God is good, and we have our boys back," the Gelminis wrote.

Photo taken of Alec Corbett and Allesandro Gelmini seconds before the ice cave collapsed. (Photo courtesy of family members.)

Here are photos of the rescue effort, taken by Brian McMahan: