Three scientists rescued after iced up chopper left them stranded on volcano

Rescued researcher describes two days in sleeping bags inside chopper

Research aimed at improving assessment of risks of eruption

Trio stranded 6,500 feet up Mount Mageik

They had emergency provisions and were rescued unharmed

Two researchers and their pilot were rescued Friday from a remote Alaska volcano after freezing rain left thick ice on their helicopter and the choppers' blades.

Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said the rescue came at about 5 p.m. Friday. The three were caught in a freezing rainstorm Wednesday evening.

Pilot Sam Egli, United States Geological Survey geophysicist John Paskievitch, and University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcher Taryn Lopez were not injured.

Airworthy igloo: Ice covering the helicopter. Where's the de-icer when you need it?

Relief: States Geological Survey geophysicist John Paskievitch (left), University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcheTaryn Lopez (center) and pilot Sam Egli after coming down the mountain

Iced up: John Paskievitch after anchoring the helicopter down once he knew they would all be spending the night on the mountain

Chilly outlook: Mageik gas monitoring station covered in ice

They were attempting to monitor volcano equipment when 'the weather moved in,' Egli said. The work is part of an assignment to also repair permanent monitoring equipment on volcanoes in the area known as the Valley of 10,000 Smokes.

Freezing fog enveloped the research area and iced over the helicopter's rotator blades.

'We were unable to produce enough lift to take off at that point,' Egli said. 'The weather didn't clear up after that.'

Without any means to heat the helicopter blades, the trio was stuck.

Frosty reception: Helicopter pilot Sam Egli in the helicopter - happy to have the Air Guard flying over head to come to his rescue

White out: Ice covering the ground on Alaska's Mount Mageik about 280 miles southwest of Anchorage

Scraper required: Ice covering the windshield of the helicopter

Holding out: Taryn Lopez smiles as she shows optimism that the trio would be resuced

Perfect day for flying: Before the adventure began it was a beautiful clear day as the trio made their way up the mountain... and then the weather set in fast

On Friday afternoon, a rescue helicopter lifted Egli and the researchers to safety. Peters said the helicopter remains on Mount Mageik about 280 miles southwest of Anchorage at Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Asked how they passed the time for more than two days, Egli said 'we just yakked.'

'There wasn't anything to do,' he said. 'We work together, we've got things in common, so we just talked about that.'