She had been staying with a friend when the tragedy happened.
Heartbreaking details have emerged after an Australian family was killed in a plane crash in the US on December 3. Christian Kath, 42, his wife Misty, 43, and their 12-year-old daughter Lily were flying over the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday night when their plane crashed into the water, The Guardian reported. At that time, their only surviving 10-year-old daughter was at a sleepover, which is why she wasn't on the plane with her family.
Christian Kath's father, Chris Kath, said his granddaughter Harper had been staying with a friend when the tragedy happened. The 10-year-old girl had been trying to contact her family members, expecting to be picked up from the sleepover.
"She was trying to text and call her mum and sister in the morning [asking] when were they coming to pick her up,'' he told7 News.
Mr Kath said his son was a successful businessman who had been living with his family in the United States for about four years. However, the family was planning to return to Australia soon. ''I want Christian to also be remembered for his depth of character as well as his loving character. He really will be missed. The world will be a poorer place for not having Christian," he added.
According to a report by News.com.au, the plane was rented by the family from St Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday afternoon, with Mr. Kath flying his wife and daughter to Venice, Florida, for a sunset dinner. They were on their way back to St Petersburg when they crashed. The bodies of his wife Misty and Lily have been recovered, while Mr. Kath is missing, presumed dead.
A Facebook post from Mr. Kath, months before the accident, revealed he had only recently started flying planes.
Caleb McGuire, a friend and former colleague of Mr Kath, said that arrangements are underway for the surviving daughter to return to be cared for by her grandparents, Penny and John in Queensland. The family is now planning to move back to Australia in a matter of weeks.