Crews Find Kate Williams Scared, But Alive

Investigators say a standard car seat may have helped save the life of a three-year-old girl, the only survivor of a weekend aircraft accident in Canada.

CTV reports the girl, Kate Williams, was found still strapped to her seat inside the wreckage of a Cessna 172 that went down near Golden, British Columbia on Sunday. The crash claimed the lives of her grandfather, Allen Williams, who was flying the plane; and Steven T. Sutton, an executive with Williams' company.

Images from the scene show the aircraft came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The plane's nose and cowling are crushed back to the firewall, though the cabin appears relatively intact.

Rescuers say the child seat likely saved the toddler's life.

"I think the care that was taken in placing the child in there, that extra protection, is what basically, I think, saved her life," Golden RCMP Sgt. Marko Shehovac told CTV News. "It's a sad time for the family but at the same time, a minor miracle has happened here."

Kate Williams was admitted to Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary on Monday, for observation. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries to her head.

The aircraft was flying back to Edmonton from a business retreat in British Columbia when it crashed. Crews found the wreckage Sunday night, after earlier efforts were hampered by poor weather.

Rescuers say Kate was crying when they found her, and asking for her teddy bear.

FMI: www.tsb.gc.ca