A 7-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a small plane crash Friday night that left four of her family members dead. The crash occurred in the mountains of rural Kentucky in Lyon County, approximately 30 miles east of Paducha.

According to Kathleen Bergen of the Federal Aviation Administration, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, a twin engine Piper PA-34, after the pilot had reported mechanical problems. The pilot was reportedly asking to be diverted to a nearby airport when radio contact was lost as it flew over Marshall County in the southwestern part of the state. Approximately 30 minutes after losing contact with the plane, a 911 call came from a private residence on Buckberry Trail reporting an injured child.

The home owner, 71 year old Larry Wilkins, said was watching the news at approximately 6:30 PM CST, when he stated that a barefoot young girl had knocked on his door and was bleeding from her legs and face. According to Wilkins, the girl had said she was on a plane that crashed. She reportedly stated that she had walked through the woods until finding Wilkins’s house.

In an interview with CNN, Wilkins described the event, “She told me that her mom and her dad were dead, and she was in a plane crash, and the plane was upside down.” The plane was later found by a search and rescue team with four bodies inside.

Kentucky State Police identified those killed in the crash as Marty Gutzler, 49, Kimberly Gutzler, 45, their 9-year-old daughter, Piper Gutzler, and Piper’s 14-year-old cousin, Sierra Walder.

“This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash,” Kentucky police Sergeant Dean Patterson said in a statement to reporters.

Authorities described the 7 year old’s dramatic ordeal, how she climbed from the plane’s wreckage and then walked over a mile in the dark in unfamiliar terrain, with temperatures down in the 40’s. The area was described as isolated and very hilly with limited visibility due to the darkness. According to police, there are only a couple of houses within several square miles of the plane crash location. “It’s a miracle in a sense that she survived,” stated Sergeant Patterson.

“If you could see the terrain you would realize how incredible it really was, barefooted, and 7 years old. That’s the incredible part, it is just amazing to me.” Wilkins said. According to a Lyon County search and rescue spokesman, the 7 year old was dressed for a warmer climate wearing just shorts and a thin tee shirt, she was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities stated that National Transportation Safety Board investigators are on their way to the scene to lead the investigation into Friday’s crash. According to State Police, the victims were from Nashville, Illinois, and it is believed they were flying home from Florida when the crash occurred.