US girl survived plane crash in forest, walked for days to safety

WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – A US teenager survived a plane crash in the craggy, thickly forested mountains of north-central Washington state, emerged from the wilderness after hiking ‘for a couple of days’ and was picked up by a motorist who drove her to safety, authorities said.

But the fate of her two step-grandparents, who were also on board, remained unclear, The Guardian reported.

Family members alerted authorities when the Beech A-35 light plane failed to complete its flight from Kalispell, Montana, to Lynden, Washington state, on Saturday afternoon.

Rescuers narrowed down a search area based on cellphone data and typical flight patterns. But there was no sign of the aircraft or its occupants until Autumn Veatch, 16, followed a trail to Highway 20, near the east entrance to North Cascades national park.

A motorist picked her up on Monday afternoon and drove her 30 miles east to a general store in Mazama, where employees called 911.

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