Teen Girl Survives Plane Crash and Hikes For Days to Safety

A teenage girl survived a mountain plane crash that is thought to have killed her grandparents before hiking alone through wilderness “for a couple of days” and flagging down a passing car.

Autumn Veatch, 16, trekked through thick forest and craggy terrain of Washington State, on American’s west coast, after the light aircraft she was travelling in went down on Saturday afternoon.

The teenager is being treated in hospital with minor injuries following her miraculous escape, with authorities initially remaining tight-lipped on her two older relatives, Leland and Sharon Bowman, from Montana, while the search for the plane wreckage continued.

A teenage girl survived a mountain plane crash that is thought to have killed her grandparents before hiking alone through wilderness “for a couple of days” and flagging down a passing car.

Autumn Veatch, 16, trekked through thick forest and craggy terrain of Washington State, on American’s west coast, after the light aircraft she was travelling in went down on Saturday afternoon.

The teenager is being treated in hospital with minor injuries following her miraculous escape, with authorities initially remaining tight-lipped on her two older relatives, Leland and Sharon Bowman, from Montana, while the search for the plane wreckage continued.

But it was reported by TV local station KHQL that Mr Bowman, 62, the pilot of the plane, and Mrs Bowman, 63, had died in the crash and that Autumn was the sole survivor.

Family members had raised the alarm the same day when the trio, who had set off in a small Beech A-35 plane from Kalispell, Montana, failed to arrive at their intended destination of Lynden, Washington at the expected time of 4pm.

A rescue mission narrowed down the search to an area near the Canadian border using mobile phone data and typical flight patterns – but drew a blank until Autumn emerged on to Highway 20, next to the North Cascades National Park, on Monday afternoon.

The teenager, from Bellingham, Washington, was driven 30 miles to a general store at the isolated village of Mazama, where staff called emergency services.

“Our initial information is she sustained no life-threatening injuries and is somewhat dehydrated due to being out in the elements,” said Scott Graham, chief executive Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster, Washington State

My sincerest condolences on the loss of your grandparents. I hope my kids are as tough as Autumn was when faced with this adversity. What a tough cookie! Wishing you a speedy recovery Autumn, and best wishes.

Written by Katie McGuire. Follow Katie on Twitter @GOPKatie[3], or email the author at [email protected]

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