Girl, 12, Is Sole Survivor of Panama Plane Crash


A 12-year-old girl who was the sole survivor of a plane crash in Panama has been reunited with her family.

Francesca Lewis, from the US, was one of four passengers in the aircraft, which crashed in a remote mountain area on Sunday.

The girl, who is being treated for hypothermia, bruises and muscle injuries, met family members on Wednesday at a hospital in the town of David, capital of the province of Chiriqui.

Dr Samuel Cattan, who is treating her, said: "She lost consciousness, and she only remembers (the plane) falling into a cloud, and then she saw trees."

The crash of the Cessna 172, which happened about 270 miles west of the capital, Panama City, killed Francesca's friend Talia Klein, 13, Klein's father, Michael Klein, 37, of Santa Barbara, California, and Panamanian pilot Edwin Lasso, 23.

A preliminary investigation showed the plane struck a tree and split in two, according to Roberto Velasquez, director of Panama's National Civil Protection.

"It is miraculous that the girl could survive that impact," he said.

Video: Telegraph
Source: Telegraph
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