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Seven-year-old Sailor Gutzler survived a plane crash this weekend in Lyon County, Kentucky, but lost her parents, Marty and Kimberly; her older sister, Piper and cousin Sierra Wilder.
Kentucky State Police Lt. Brent White says when Sailor emerged from the upside-down twin-engine to find help, she was in the middle of the woods, with no houses – or help – in sight.
“She had been scratched up," White said at a news conference Sunday morning in Eddyville. "She had possible broken bones to her wrist and arm."
Sailor tried to fashion a makeshift torch by dipping a fallen branch into a small fire at the scene, but it didn’t take. So she set out, in the dark. White says she happened to choose the best possible route, though it wasn’t an easy one.
“There’s probably a 12-foot ditch that she went through. A rock-cut ditch, or a creek, if you will," White said. "She went through numerous briar patches and thorn patches and downed trees.”
Sailor covered as much as three quarters of a mile in that terrain before she found help at Larry Wilkins’ house in the Suwanee community. He told WPSD about the encounter.
“Heard a knock on the door. I come out and a little girl standing there bleeding. Legs and arms scratched up. Arms scratched up. Bloody nose. Crying. And she said her mom and dad were dead," Wilkins said.
White says it was 38 degrees that night.
“She was dressed for Florida," White said. "She had on shorts. She did not have on shoes. It was a short sleeve shirt, but I cannot remember if it was even – it may have been like a tank top."
The Gutzlers were heading home to Nashville, Illinois, a small farming community outside St. Louis, after vacationing in Florida.
The girls would have returned to their 2nd and 4th grade classrooms Monday. Nashville Schools Superintendent Michael Brink said he and other school officials have spent the weekend setting up six grief counselors to meet with the children in the tragedy’s wake.
“Every kid in the school has had contact or has played with or knows the Gutzler girls," Brink said. "It’s just going to be devastating.”
Brink is unsure of when Sailor will return. But when she does he says the K-8 school district comprised of 560 students will rally around and support her.
Both Brink and the Gutzler’s pastor, Matthew Wietfeldt, say the family - who owned furniture, carpet and tile stores in town - leave behind a legacy of generosity.
“We could talk for two hours about it," Brink said. "There were not bigger supporters of the school district than Marty and Kim. They would routinely do fundraisers to raise money, help with the school.”
“Marty was a member of our congregation as well as his father and they were both quite generous, helping out where needed and giving of themselves but also giving of their business as well," Wietfeldt said.
Nashville has a factory north of town, but most of the industry there is farming. Around 3,200 people live there, some going to St. Louis each day for work. In such a small community, Wietfeldt said a loss like this one leaves a gaping hole.
“They’re one of the pillars of the community," Wietfeldt said. "This is a devastating loss and something that’s going to rock us to our core but we’re going to rally around young Sailor.”
The funeral for Sailor’s cousin Sierra Wilder is set for Wednesday and theGutzlerswill be laid to rest Friday after a service at Trinity Lutheran Church. A memorial fund has been set up for Sailor at sailorgutzlerfund.com.
Copyright 2015 WKMS
