A family hiking trip turned tragic over the weekend when a father and two of his sons got lost on the Ozark trail and were subjected to freezing temperatures.

36-year old David Decareaux and sons Dominic, 10, and Grant, 8, were found on Sunday morning. Decareaux was pronounced dead at the scene; the boys were airlifted out of the woods but later died at a Missouri hospital.

“They took my babies and worked on them for more than two hours,” wife and mother Sarah Decareaux said. “We are a Christian family. I know where they are now.”

Decareaux and his boys got caught out in the elements after freezing rain swept through the area, and apparently both their flashlight and cell phone lost power. A large search party was called in, but roads and trails became impassible due to flash flooding from nearby creeks and the party had to be called off until daylight came. Despite the tragic ending, Sarah Decareaux said she wanted to make sure those involved in the search knew how much their help was appreciated. She is now left a single mother of three other young children.

The Ozarks are a tricky place to hike, especially at this time of year, when temperatures can plummet quickly. Authorities say that when the Decareaux family set off, the temps were in the 60s. They dropped dramatically into the 20s with all the rain the area received.

Image courtesy of the family. Dominic and Grant are at the far left.