On February 9, 2005, five-year-old Katherine Jo Marie Davis was a passenger with her parents and two sisters, Samantha and Jesse, aboard a Cessna 206 near Port Alsworth, Alaska. A blinding snowstorm and white-out conditions forced a hard landing on the ice of Lake Clark. The ice fractured and the aircraft began sinking into water reported to be about 800 feet deep.

Katherine’s parents, Jeremy and Michelle Davis, escaped the sinking plane and trekked roughly two miles through blowing snow to reach a cabin and radio for help. The three girls were unable to get out before the aircraft submerged; recovery of the children and the plane was not attempted because of the lake’s extreme depth. The NTSB cited snow, a low ceiling, and whiteout conditions as contributing factors.

If anyone remembers the Davis family or was in Port Alsworth that winter, any recollections could help preserve the memory of Katherine and her sisters.