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11-Yr-Old Girl Survives Horrific Plane Crash | But Her Dad Died Saving Her, Protecting Her Until His Last Breath
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11-Yr-Old Girl Survives Horrific Plane Crash | But Her Dad Died Saving Her, Protecting Her Until His Last Breath

It is not clear what caused the twin-engine Britten-Norman plane to crash, but the case is currently under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.

Image source: Getty Images

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on November 24, 2021. It has since been updated.

A 11-year-old girl who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed the other four passengers, including her dad, says she's alive only because her dad protected her. The small commuter plane crash occurred around 1:30 p.m. on November 13, 2021, at Welke Airport on Beaver Island in the far northern part of Lake Michigan just below the Upper Peninsula, Lt. William Church of the Charlevoix County, Michigan, Sheriff's Office told ABC News on Sunday.

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"We are heartbroken with the loss of my husband, a father, brother, son and friend. He gave the best bear hugs, and I believe he grabbed our daughter and protected her," Christina Perdue said of what her daughter, Laney, recalls of the crash. "Our prayers are also with our island community and the other souls lost in the accident."

"It's her last memory before the crash," Christina Perdue said in a statement of Laney, who was in stable condition on November 14, 2021, at a children's hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her husband, Mike Perdue, was a realtor from Gaylord, Michigan.

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Church also identified a couple killed in the incident as Kate Leese and Adam Kendall, states 6ABC. The name of the pilot who died was being withheld by the sheriff's office, pending notification of relatives, Church added.

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At the time of the accident, the girl, along with an adult male, was rescued by a helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Great Lakes, as they were training in the area at the time and responded to an emergency call from the island. They then flew the critically injured child and the male adult to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey, Coast Guard officials said.

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The girl underwent chest compressions on the helicopter on the way to the hospital, but the man was later pronounced dead at the hospital, a USCG spokesperson told CNN.

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Two dogs also died in the crash, authorities said. It is not clear what caused the twin-engine Britten-Norman plane to crash, but the case is currently under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.

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References:

https://abcnews.go.com/US/11-year-girl-survives-michigan-plane-crash-killed/story?id=81162944 

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/14/us/mi-sole-survivor-plane-crash/index.html

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Cover Image Source (Representative): Getty Images