Seven-Year-old Survives Plane Crash; Flu Outbreak Proves Deadly for Children
PAUL: 38 minutes past the hour. You know, a twin engine plane crashed last night in Kentucky, killed four people. This is what is so remarkable -- the seven-year-old girl on the flight survived.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN national reporter Nick Valencia. Nick -- it's amazing that this girl just had the wherewithal to get off this plane with her family there dead, and walk in the right direction to get to someone. Tell us what happened.</s>NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: You know mom, dad, sister, cousin -- all dead. Four people died in this plane crash. Small plane -- twin engine plane; these are the type of planes sort of used for a business trip, personal trips. It was on its way from Florida to Illinois where this family was from. When the pilot, we believe it was the father that was flying this plane, he makes a distress call to the air traffic controllers and about 6:00 p.m. that plane loses contact. Larry Wilkins lives in western rural Kentucky where this plane went down. 71 years old, he's at his home. He tells us what he was doing when he heard a knock at his door.</s>LARRY WILKINS, TOOK IN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR: I just got through watching the evening news and the local evening news and walked in there to get on the computer on Facebook and whatever and see what was going on. And before I got to sit down that's when the dog started hollering and barking. And opened the door and there she was. If you could see the terrain, you would realize how incredible it really was. Bare-footed and seven years old -- that's the incredible part that she was just -- amazing to me.</s>VALENCIA: Yes, just amazing. He said he had a porch light on at his house, not very many homes in this rural area, a very wooded area. He said he could only assume that's how this seven-year-old girl got to his home. He says he is thankful that she did. He wishes that he could have done more. He said he cleaned her up as well as he could. That state police were in the area. They showed up about 10 minutes later. And EMT showed up. It's just a remarkable story that she was able to survive.</s>PAUL: So do we know who she is with and where she is now?</s>VALENCIA: You know, we don't know her whereabouts. She was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. So she is expected to survive. But just the conditions that she had to go through to get there. In 2008, this area apparently had a bad ice storm, lots of downed trees, lots of creeks, very cold. This girl was wearing shorts.</s>PAUL: Oh my God.</s>VALENCIA: Had one sock on, dressed for Florida. Not to mention that -- I mean her family had just died. So like you were saying, Victor, you know, to have that wherewithal.</s>BLACKWELL: The moment that strikes me among a lot of moments in this story but when she asks this elderly man will you go with me to the hospital. And he has to say no because he's not a relative.</s>VALENCIA: He said that that sort of -- that's what really got him. He sees this little girl quivering, she's in shock. They are having trouble making sense of what if she is saying because she just had been through a plane crash. She asks him can you come to the hospital and he can't go. He says he wants to get in touch with her. We hope they make that --</s>PAUL: I absolutely hope that happens. Yes, more connection between those two, certainly. Nick Valencia -- thank you.</s>VALENCIA: Thanks.</s>BLACKWELL: Thank you Nick. So flu season is here and this disease, this virus, is moving fast. The Centers for Disease Control has already declared this year's flu season an epidemic. Flu activity is elevated across the country and at a high level in 22 states.</s>PAUL: So, if you haven't gotten a flu shot, this is why you might want to reconsider. Strains are spreading fast and in some cases they are deadly for young children. We're talking about in just a matter of hours. CNN's George Howell has more.</s>GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of the most recent flu-related deaths is a three-year-old girl from Iowa. Her parents say she went from perfect health with no pre-existing conditions to becoming severely dehydrated and in pain. Then rushed to a hospital in Des Moines where she later died just a few days after showing the initial signs of the flu. Another tragic case in Minnesota -- seven-year-old Ruby Hanson (ph) died Christmas Eve. Her mother believes she might have survived had she not had a pre-existing medical condition.</s>EVELYN HANSON, RUBY HANSON'S SISTER: The flu would have not did her in had she not had Gervais syndrome. There is no way. She had a seizure, yes. The seizure was caused by the flu.</s>HOWELL: These latest deaths now part of grim statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing the flu has reached an epidemic level in the United States. One of the strains making people sick this season has mutated, causing this year's vaccination to be less than optimal for protection.</s>MICHAEL JHUNG, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The most common virus that we're seeing causing disease right now is this H3N2. When we've seen H3N2 predominate in previous seasons we've seen relatively severe seasons. So it's possible we could have a severe season again this year.</s>HOWELL: It's being felt widespread in at least 36 states with current influenza levels approaching peak levels we saw two years ago. Doctors are seeing more patients.</s>DR. RAHUL KHARE, NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CHICAGO: I was on a shift the other day, I saw about 35 patients. I saw 10 positive flu swabs. And there was a couple I didn't even swab. I just treated them because it's so prevalent. So we're definitely seeing a lot.</s>HOWELL: The CDC is set to release its latest figures on how widespread the flu bug has become this coming Monday. In the meantime, officials still recommend getting a flu shot, even though it may not completely prevent against it, it may lessen the severity if you get sick. George Howell, CNN, Chicago.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. So January 15th is a little more than a week away. And that is the day that according to those close to Hillary Clinton, that we will know whether she's running for president. Coming up next, why the timing could be critical and what it could mean for other possible contenders.