Father, son rescued from VT mountain

NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) -- A Norwich father and son are very lucky to be alive after a skiing trip to Vermont. As the sun began to go down, they ended up lost on the mountain.

Fresh powder on Pico Mountain. Like other skiers, Scott Barbarossa and his 11-year-old son Zachary were having a great day on the Vermont mountain, until that last run.

"I guess the second time we cut in we just cut in a little higher than the first time and we must have slipped off the back ridge," said Scott Barbarossa.

They weren't being reckless. The freshly fallen snow just caused them to lose their way. Scott called 911 and through the GPS police tracked their location but his cell phone battery was low and during the third call it died.

"I was like scared every time something scary would happen, like when his phone died like that was even worse," said Zachary.

The snow was very deep. Scott and Zachary were trudging through it carrying their skies. The sun was about to set so they knew they had to do something if they were going to survive the night.

"Basically I found a rock like this for a wall and there was a tree that had fallen down across it and filled in with snow so I had an L shape," said Scott.

He used snow to build a third wall and their skis and evergreens for the roof. Huddled in the snow hut they waited and hoped.

"I was just sitting in the same position the whole time," said Zachary.

"What was going through your head," asked News 8's Tina Detelj.

"That I was cold," said Zachary.

6 chilly hours later help arrived.

"How'd you feel when you saw the rescuers come," asked News 8's Detelj.

"It was better," said Zachary.

A snow hut and some know how saves the day.

"He was laying on his side and I was just kind of hugging him wrapped around and keeping warm," said Scott.

"And that body heat really helped," asked News 8's Detelj.

"Oh god yeah. Well, we're here," said Scott laughing.

And happy they can talk about it.