10-year-old girl survives alone for over 24 hours in wilderness in Cascade Range, Washington

Shunghla Mashwani, 10, became separated from her family during an outing in Kittitas County, Washington.

A 10-year-old girl survived alone for more than 24 hours in the wilderness in the Cascade Range in the northwest of the United States, report several American media including CNN.

Shunghla Mashwani was on Sunday at the Cle Elum River in Kittitas County, Washington, with her family when she got lost at a footbridge. The young girl and her family, who are from Afghanistan, arrived in the United States about two years ago and enjoy spending time in this region which reminds them of their home country.

Dogs, helicopters and drones deployed

Without a cellular network, Shunghla’s family tried to search for her for several hours, without success. After meeting a passerby, they were able to contact the police and notify them of the girl’s disappearance.

Ground search teams but also dogs, helicopters and even drones were deployed to try to find the child. The Kittitas Sheriff’s Office even asked Shunghla’s father to record a comforting message in his native language to play during searches.

“The search area was steep, rugged and remote, with dense trees and underbrush traversed by the fast-flowing Cle Elum River,” the sheriff’s office told CNN.

“A child full of resources”

Shunghla was finally found safe and sound with only a few scratches on Monday afternoon around 3 p.m. just over two kilometers from where she was last seen.

“I tried to sleep at night to wake up early in the morning to find my dad and mom,” the Shunghla girl told KING 5 News.

“She walked through the forest, spent a night in the cold. She confided that she knew she had to go down the river. She is a resourceful, resourceful and resilient 10-year-old,” the office said. of the sheriff.

Transported on an inflatable rescue boat, she was able to cross the river with her rescuers and find her father.