Her last memory before the crash was "her daddy squeezing her so hard."
An 11-year old girl who survived a plane crash that killed four people including her father was saved by her dad cradling her, loved ones say.
Laney Perdue was the sole survivor of the horrific crash that killed her dad Mike, two other passengers, the pilot and two dogs on Saturday near Beaver Island, Michigan, USA.
Mike's friend Ryan Wojan said the girl was shielded by her father in his final moments.
Speaking to
CNN, he said: "He cradled her in his arms. She doesn't remember anything, except for her daddy squeezing her so hard."
He added that all of Laney's injuries were on the opposite side of where her father had been sitting.
Mike's wife Christina echoed his claim, saying the last thing her daughter remembers about the incident is her dad lovingly protecting her.
"It's her last memory before the crash," she shared in a statement to
ABC. "We are heartbroken with the loss of my husband, a father, brother, son and friend.
"He gave the best bear hugs, and I believe he grabbed our daughter and protected her. Our prayers are also with our island community and the other souls lost in the accident."
ABC 7 reports the girl is being treated in hospital and is now in stable condition. A
GoFundMe set up by family friends states she is "alert and talking" and is being "a trooper and so strong."
