Autumn Veatch, one of the passengers of the small plane that disappeared last weekend, miraculously survived the crash.
CNN reported that the 16-year-old was with her grandparents at the time of the accident. The plane came from Montana and was bound for Lynden, Washington. County Sheriff Frank Rogers said that he's not sure about the condition of Autumn's grandparents, but "it doesn't sound like they made it."
Sheriff Rogers said that Autumn told him her story of survival. Autumn said that everything was smooth until the plane flew toward the side of the mountain. She forced her way out amid the crash and spent the night along the river. She decided to take a hike in search of the highway. It was a good decision because she was finally rescued.
According to Autumn's father, her daughter tried her best to help her grandparents. David said that she waited for rescuers to come near the crash site.
The Seattle Times reported that Autumn immediately called her father and told him that she'd survived the crash. She suffered minor burns from the crash, dehydration and exhaustion from hiking.
After she was rescued, she was brought to Three Rivers Hospital where her father, David Veatch, went to see her immediately.
Scott Graham, CEO of Three Rivers Hospital, said that Autumn was dehydrated and she developed a muscle disorder known as rhabdomyolysis. He also said that Autumn did not sustain any serious injuries.
The search is still in progress for Autumn's grandparents, Leland and Sharon Bowman.
ABC Fox Montana reported that it is very difficult to find a small aircraft in a very large area. Rescuers are trying to look for signs — flashes of lights or any signal coming from the plane or the other two passengers. However, the search operation may take a while due to the difficult mountain terrain of the region.
