The mother of an 11-year-old girl who emerged as the sole survivor of a plane crash on a Michigan island that killed four people, including her father, says she feared the worst when she ran into the hospital to see her daughter and was relieved when the child greeted her.
Christine Perdue spoke out for the first time since Saturday's crash on Beaver Island, revealing to Good Morning America on Tuesday her daughter Laney's first words to her after the crash.
Christie said that when she first learned of the crash, she did not know whether her daughter had suffered burns, or a head injury, or whether she would be able to walk again.
'And she just said, "Hi, mom,"' Christie recalled with a smile, 'and so I just knew at that moment that that part was going to be OK.'
Christie also said she believes her husband saved their daughter's life by wrapping her in a bear hug.
According to the mom, Laney's final memory before impact was of her father, Mike Perdue, holding her.
'Laney told me in the hospital that her last memory is that dad just grabbed her and held her really, really tight,' Christie said while standing outside Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, where her daughter is being treated. 'In my heart I know it protected her.'
The mother of four revealed that Laney suffered five broken bones, but all of the fractures were on one side of her body, suggesting that her other side was spared thanks to her father's protective stance.
'I believe that would make sense to me that if her injuries were on one side, then her other side was with her dad and he was holding her,' Christie said through tears.
Christie Perdue says she believes her husband, Mike, saved their daughter by wrapping her in a bear hug when the plane they were in crashed in Michigan, killing him and three others
Christie said her 11-year-old daughter, Laney, told her that her final memory before impact is that of her dad grabbing her and holding her 'really, really tight'
The crash claimed the lives of four of the five people who were aboard the Island Airways flight from Charlevoix Municipal Airport to the nearby Welke Airport. The victims have been identified by the authorities as pilot William Julian, of Traverse City, and passengers Mike Perdue, of Gaylord, Kate Leese and Adam Kendall, of Beaver Island.
Laney survived and was airlifted to the hospital in Grand Rapids.
The mother said Laney still has 'a long road ahead of her.'
Christie added: 'she is amazing and she is inspiring us all.'
According to the latest updates on the site CaringBridge, where family having been sharing news of Laney's progress, the 11-year-old underwent multiple surgeries, was breathing on her own, adjusting to eating and drinking again, and was feeling better.
On Monday, Laney started inpatient physical therapy and was able to briefly stand up.
The doomed passenger flight took off at 1.32pm on Saturday with five people on board and crashed just 15 minutes later while approaching Welke Airport west of Mackinaw City.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said the investigation into the cause of the crash was still in its early stages, but John Brannen, Senior Air Safety Investigator with the federal agency, told 9 & 10 News that they were looking into whether high winds played a role in the tragedy.
Brannen said the investigation also will examine how much the plane weighed at the time of the crash.
'One of the things that we do look at and one of the things we’re doing today is, we took all the baggage from the airplane, we’re weighing all the baggage,' said the NTSB official. 'Weight and balance is an important factor in aircraft so we’re looking at their load manifest to see if it matches up with what we actually weighed.'
Laney Perdue, 11 , emerged as the sole survivor of Saturday's plane crash in Michigan
Laney is recovering at a Michigan hospital, where she was in stable condition on Tuesday
Christie Perdue (far right) is pictured with her late husband, their two daughters and twin sons
Crash victim Mike Perdue worked as a real estate agent in Gaylord, Michigan, where he lived with his wife, their two daughters and twin sons.
'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,' Christie Perdue previously said in a statement. 'Our prayers are also with our island community and the other souls lost in the accident.'
Meanwhile, a loved one has has started a GoFundMe campaign to help the Perdue family financially, which has drawn more than $84,000 in donations as of Tuesday.
William Julian, 55, was behind the controls of the
