[vagabond]

How heartbreaking for this poor girl and remaining family- my heart bleeds for her.

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by gatagato ↗

Thanks for the contributions, DS

My pleasure! Beautiful girl! Tragic story.

[DiamondSmiles]

‘She’s up and About’: Plane Crash Survivor is With Relatives

By Brian Brueggmann

News-Democrat

January 6, 2015

The following are some of the comments posted about Marty Gutzler, Kimberly Gutzler; their daughter, 9 year old Piper Gutzler; and her cousin, 14 year old Sierra Wilder on guestbooks at bnd.com.

• “I have known Marty for years and he never failed to smile and speak whenever I saw him. Our hearts break for the families and are praying for them. RIP Marty.” – Terry Campbell, Nashville

• “We’ve known you a long time and have a lot of good memories! May God bless all your survivors, until we meet again.” – Ann & Don Schnitker, Hoyleton

• “RIP Kim. Heaven gained a beautiful angel.” – Marla & Mark Cameron, Ashley

• “We will miss you sweet Piper!” – Carol Fruend, Nashville

• “I will always miss you Sierra! You were an amazing person and a beautiful girl.” – Matthew Sauerhage, Nashville

Sailor Gutzler, the 7 year old Washington County girl who survived a plane crash, is staying with relatives, according to a family spokesman.

But, as of Tuesday, there had not yet been any court action taken to establish legal guardianship of the girl.

“She is with family members,” said Kent Plotner, an attorney who is serving as a spokesman for the Gutzler family.

A relative, 69 year old Larry Haake, who resides in a retirement community in Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel that Sailor is doing well.

“She has ... a lot of lacerations,” Haake said. “But, little Sailor is doing well ... she’s up and about.”

Haake, who is an uncle of Sailor’s father, Marty Gutzler, returned to his hometown of Nashville after the plane crash. Haake said Sailor is, “from a very tight family and is being well cared for. We take comfort in that.”

As of Tuesday, no guardianship petition had been filed regarding Sailor, according to Washington County court records.

Plotner said, “I don’t know what the status of that is. I know that she’s under the care of family members, and I think a determination is yet to be made on who that is going to be.”

Sailor’s parents, Marty and Kim Gutzler of Nashville, died Friday evening when their small plane crashed in Kentucky. Sailor’s 9 year old sister, Piper Gutzler, and her cousin, 14 year old Sierra Wilder of Nashville, also died in the crash.

Plotner declined to discuss specifics about Sailor’s care or her condition. He said the family is seeking privacy.

Grief counselors are available at the school(s) attended by the girls.

The remarkable story of how Sailor, with a broken wrist, navigated through cold, dark woods and stickers to find help at the home of a Kentucky resident has been a rallying point amid the grief.

“A loss like this doesn’t just affect one family or one group of people, it affects the whole community,” the Rev. Matthew Wietfeldt of Trinity Lutheran Church in Nashville told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s very hard to go through this, but, the comfort we have is we can go through this together, and we’re all rallying around Sailor.”

The Gutzlers were returning from Key West, Florida, to the Regional Airport in Mount Vernon. Chris Collins, the manager at Mount Vernon Outland Airport, said the Gutzlers had made the trip to Key West numerous times in their six seater Piper PA-34 Seneca, apparently to visit family members.

Collins said Marty Gutzler has been flying since he was 16.

“I’d guess he probably flew twice a month, but, a lot of times I didn’t see him. Airports are big places. There are a lot of time that I wouldn’t see him, but I would hear him on the radio,” Collins said.

Collins said he’s not aware of the Gutzler plane ever having any mechanical trouble.

A fund has been set up here, www.sailorgutzlerfund.com.

Checks can be made payable and sent to: Sailor Gutzler Fund, P.O. Box 242, Nashville, Illinois, 62263.

[DiamondSmiles]

Contribution to the thread by diamondsmiles:

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sierra%20wilder.jpeg

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