(Undated) -- The families of three Americans detained in Iran for seven months say their loved ones have been allowed to call home for the first time. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were hiking in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region in July when they accidentally crossed the border into Iran. Bauer's mother Cindy Hickey says her son sounded strong and determined, and the three reported being well. The families say Bauer and Fattal are being held in the same prison cell in Tehran. Shourd is alone in her cell but is able to meet with the other two daily. The families called the phone conversations "a tremendous relief." All three hikers are University of California-Berkeley graduates.
