A family with two young children was rescued from the woods in Quebec early Friday morning after collapsing from hypothermia while attempting to cross the border from the U.S. into Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) received a call at 3:15 a.m. from Quebec provincial police, who alerted them that two adults and their one- and two-year-old children were lost in the woods near Havelock, Quebec, after walking for hours overnight and getting lost in the harsh winter conditions.

Prior to the RCMP’s involvement, the mother had called 911 to report their situation, and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) responded.

RCMP spokesperson Martina Pillarova told Global News that emergency services were able to locate the family by staying on the 911 call while tracking their coordinates using GPS. “They stayed on the line while we tracked them. They were in an area with lots of trees, so no vehicle or skidoo could pass through. Officers got to them by 4:15 a.m. on foot, following their footsteps in the snow,” said Pillarova.

The family was found taking shelter under a tree. The parents had lost their shoes crossing a river, and the children were inadequately dressed for the extreme cold. Both adults had collapsed from the cold and were suffering from hypothermia, with the parents holding the children.

The mother was transported out by sleigh, the children were carried by officers, and the father was able to ride in a side-by-side vehicle that helped them reach safety.

Emergency services from nearby towns, including Hemmingford, Quebec, and Mooers, New York, were waiting about a kilometer away. The family was taken to a hospital in Châteauguay, Quebec, where they were treated for hypothermia and are expected to recover.

Pillarova mentioned that the family would likely apply for refugee status, and their case would be transferred to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Further details regarding their origins were not provided.