A seven year old girl survived a plane crash in the woods. Sailor Gutzler, survived her father’s plane crash after he had reported engine problems before going off radar. The plane landed upside down, and it is reported she was in the tail section or last seat.
Unharmed, except for a broken wrist, she walked approximately three quarters of a mile, or thirty minutes until she reached a home owned by Larry Wilkins. The crash occurred in the woods of Kentucky.
Sailor was able to get out of the plane, look for her parents, and then navigate towards the light. She walked through thick brush, trees, and briar patches or prickers. Larry Wilkins, the homeowner, believes she probably saw his security light over the house. She and her family were leaving Key West after a holiday vacation, and heading home to Nashville, Illinois.
She lost her parents, Kimberly and Marty, and also a sister named Piper. A cousin named Sierra was with them and lost her life, too.
The Piper PA-34 crashed in the dense woods after the pilot reported engine troubles. The NTSB or National Travel and Safety Board will investigate further for details of the exact cause.
Walking through the woods in summer style clothing with temperatures in the thirties, the brave little girl named Sailor is miraculously alive. The crash occurred in Kuttawa, Kentucky last Friday night. The pilot, her father, was considered to be a knowledgeable pilot, and very meticulous. He was also a certified flight instructor, and the family flew with him a few times a year.
Incredibly, Sailor, the seven year old girl apparently used survival skills, and found her way out of the woods in the cold with no shoes. Flying at eighteen hundred feet, and after fueling in Tallahassee it seems most likely both engines failed, maybe due to icing, or inclement weather. The report is expected to be out in a week or so from the NTSB.
Marty Gutzler, age 48, was an experienced pilot with more than thirty years of aviation history or hours. He’d made this trek to Florida numerous times.
Sailor has already been released from Lourdes Hospital in Paducah after spending only one night. The man who heard the slight knock at his door and answered it, saw a little girl who asked if she could stay with him. He washed the blood from her and comforted her, then called 911. She told police that she attempted to wake her family before she walked through the briars and rough terrain.
Sailor Gutzler becomes a member of a small group of lone survivors, or lucky ones that survived plane crashes where everyone else aboard dies. This miracle story happened January 2nd, 2015 and her hometown is gathering around in grief and support for Sailor.
By Kim Troike
Google Images Credit
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