Community Pledges Support for Girl Who Survived Piper Seneca Crash

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 11:08 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A seven-year-old girl, Sailor Gutzler, was the sole survivor of a Piper Seneca plane crash in Kentucky that killed her parents, sister, and cousin.
The twin-engine aircraft, piloted by her father, experienced engine problems and crashed in a wooded area while returning home from a Christmas holiday.
Injured and shoeless, Sailor walked from the crash site to a nearby home to report the accident and seek help.
She is now recovering from her injuries, with her local community pledging extensive financial and emotional support.

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A seven-year-old girl who survived the crash of a Piper Seneca that killed four of her family members on Friday is recovering from her injuries as her local community rallies to support her both financially and emotionally.

Sailor Gutzler was flying with her family back home to Illinois from a Christmas holiday in Key West, Florida, when their twin-engine Seneca II encountered engine problems and crashed in a wooded area in southwestern Kentucky.