Rescuers in Washington state are rejoicing after finding 10-year-old Shunghla Mashwani safe and unharmed after being lost in the Cascade mountain terrain for over 24 hours. Mashwani was attending a family gathering at the Cle Elum River Valley when she accidentally became separated from the group as they were crossing a pedestrian bridge to eat lunch at the Cathedral Pass Trailhead. The local sheriff’s office reported that Shunghla and her family moved to Washington two years ago from Afghanistan, saying their family enjoyed spending time in the backcountry because it reminded them of home.

“Shunghla told her family and rescuers she found herself suddenly separated and alone when the family was travelling back toward the footbridge and couldn’t find the bridge on her own,” the sheriff’s office said. After her family realized that she was missing, they quickly began searching the area, calling for rescue to help. They brought in drones, K9s and helicopters to assist in the search for Shunghla. The sheriff’s office had Shunghla’s father record a message in their native language to broadcast over the search area in hopes that she would be able to hear them.

The next afternoon, Shanghula was spotted about 1.5 miles south from where she was last seen, thankfully with only minor scrapes. “I was trying to go to sleep in the night and then wake up early in the morning, and then I’ll find my dad and mom in the forest,” Shunghla told CNN affiliate KING. The sheriff’s office praised Shaghula’s resourcefulness and bravery, saying “She hiked downstream through the dense forest and spent the cold night between some trees. She said she knew it was the right thing to follow the river. She proved an extraordinarily resourceful and resilient 10-year-old.”