A teenage girl who survived a small-plane crash in the craggy, thickly forested mountains of north-central Washington state emerged from the wilderness after hiking "for a couple of days" and was picked up by a motorist who drove her to safety, authorities said.
But the fate of her two step-grandparents, who were also on board, remained unclear.
Rescuers celebrated 16-year-old Autumn Veatch's survival, but they immediately returned their focus to finding the wreckage.