Park Rangers along with Tennessee Highway Patrol and another hiker helped rescue a father and son who were stranded in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The two men, Brad and Clint Phillips, separated from a third member of their party while hiking to the Spence Field Shelter last Friday night and became lost. Strong thunderstorms soon developed and stranded the pair in rocky terrain.

Another hiker passing through the area called park officials early Saturday morning and reported the father and son’s need of assistance. Park Ranges were dispatched and found the men after a five hour search. The son had suffered a knee injury and had trouble walking while the father was found a short distance north in reportedly bad condition. A THP helicopter flew in and transported the older man to a Knoxville airport where he was taken to a local hospital and later discharged.