Tight-knit: The family of four are from Nashville, Tennessee, and were on Florida on vacation
Posted on 01/03/2015 5:37:42 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Kentucky State Police found the wreckage of a small plane Friday night after a disoriented 7-year-old girl walked to a home and reported that she had been involved in a crash that killed her entire family.
The plane, believed to be a Piper Seneca, was discovered just before 11pm Eastern time near KY 810 South in Lyon County.
A family of four were found dead inside the wreckage, including the little girl's parents, older sister and a cousin.
Early Saturday morning, Kentucky State Police identified the victims of the crash as Marty Gutzler, 49, his wife Kimberly Gutzler, 45, their 9-year-old daughter, Piper, and the girl’s 14-year-old cousin, Sierra Wilder.
Daily Mail is not naming the 7-year-old sole survivor of the crash at the request of the family. Officials say the family are from Nashville, Tennessee.
Based on Facebook posts on Mr Gutzler's page, the couple traveled with their two young daughters and their cousin Ms Wilder acting as the baby sitter to Key West to celebrate New Year's Eve at The Reach resort.
Photos posted on Mr Gutzler's earlier in the week show him piloting the plane with the girls sitting behind him.
Sgt. Dean Patterson of the Kentucky State Police says the FAA received a distress call at 5.55pm from a private plane in the area around the time the girl reported the crash to a resident
The resident called 911 at 6.30pm and the 7-year-old was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Tight-knit: The family of four are from Nashville, Tennessee, and were on Florida on vacation
My prayers for the family. And the word is “disoriented”. I really wonder how they’re grading journalism majors these days.
CC
The resident called 911 at 6.30pm and the 7-year-old was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The plane, believed to be a Piper Seneca, was discovered just before 11pm Eastern time near KY 810 South in Lyon County.
Does that timeline seem a little off? It took them 4 1/2 hours to find a downed plane? It couldn't have been far from the house where girl ended up.
Sad story.
Ironically the reporter gets it correct in the article. The headline writing editor (who should know better) gets it wrong.
If she was disoriented, she could have walked from any direction. Even a mile diameter circle is pretty big.
Who knows about the terrain?
This was the lead story on Fox ‘n Friends this morning.
So sad.
God bless and keep that brave little girl.
Prayers for her and the souls of her parents and 9 year old sister and cousin who also perished.
> If she was disoriented, she could have walked from any direction. Even a mile diameter circle is pretty big.
Who knows about the terrain?
She might have been unconscious for some time too.
I’m certain the search for the wreckage didn’t begin immediately. Likely didn’t even start until the girl had been at the hospital for a bit, after lengthy questioning. It is quite an unbelievable story.
Perhaps, but that area is sparsely populated, fairly rugged and it was night time. Also consider with low population, there is likely also to be sparse assets for search.
Very sad crash story.
Poor little girl. Very sad for her overwhelming losses. Odd thing, they name all the family, but not her? I suppose it gives her a bit of privacy, but not much if reporters start snooping.
The dad at least was conservative (per his FB page). Terrible tragedy.
They’ve been playing this story on Fox and Friends at least once per hour. They had the gentleman, Larry, on by phone. He said the terrain was very bad (ice storm a few years ago - lots of downed trees as well as blackberry bushes, thorny bushes, etc.). He said that he wouldn’t want to walk where she had; and, that she walked about 3/4 mile to his house with only 1 sock on and told him there was a plane crash, her parents were dead and the plane was upside down. He said he had a street light by his house. There are only about 7 houses on his street and that only about 3 are occupied, as the rest are summer homes. It’s a true blessing she found such a kind and caring man.
He called 911 and cleaned her up (her legs were all cut up and bloody, apparently from all the bushes, etc.)and she had a bloody nose. She was dressed for Florida weather and it was about 40 there, so she was shivering, too.
She was a little afraid of the EMTs, they put a neck brace on her and a splint on her arm (she said it hurt). She asked Larry to ride with her in the ambulance and the EMTs wouldn’t let him because he wasn’t kin. He said he’d drive to the hospital, which is about 30 miles away, but the EMTs said it wouldn’t do any good because the hospital wouldn’t let him see her since he wasn’t kin. He said he hoped he would be able to see her again some day. He said several times how brave she was, especially for a 7 year old.
No one said it, but I kept imagining her Guardian Angel helping to guide her to his house. It’s terrible she lost her family and had to go through that ordeal, but thank the Lord she is safe.
I read online that the family asked them not to release her name. The gentleman that helped her said he asked her what her name was a few times, but couldn’t understand/hear her when she said it.
Disorientated is the British English form of the American word Disoriented.....
You have every amazing detail correct.
I think it’s awful that “Larry” wasn’t allowed to accompany her and then made worse when he was told he wouldn’t be allowed to see her at the hospital.
Somehow, someway, I hope and will pray, that she and Larry will meet again.
The word orientate means: to face or turn to the east
So, disorientate means to face away from the east. LOL.
Map of the area, google or Bing then expand to the north
State Hwy 810 S, Kuttawa, KY 42055
Looks to be mainly rural with about 50% or better wooded. If no fire then finding an aircraft in the dark, in the woods might take a while.
I do wonder about the ELT unit, should have pinpointed the sight. That assumes the ELT was working and assets were available.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
I understand, just thought it hopeless task given the rest of the family is named and pictured.
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