A pilot and two girls survived on the wing of a plane for about 12 hours after it crashed and was partially submerged in an icy Alaska lake, then were rescued after being spotted by a good Samaritan.

A volunteer pilot found the three on Monday morning after they had been missing all night, the authorities said. They were taken to a hospital.

Authorities said the pilot and the children survived nearly 12 hours in the lake, hanging on to a piece of the plane while in the water. The Alaska Army National Guard rescued the male pilot and the two juvenile passengers from the plane around 10:30 a.m. Monday.