FORT SMITH, Ark. -- The teenage girl who was trapped in a cave at Devil’s Den State Park for 17 hours is sharing her story and thanking those who came to her rescue.

Van Buren Teen Shares Her Story Of Survival

Bianca Callaway said she is nearly fully recovered from the ordeal. She said she was exploring the cave’s trickiest part when she got stuck.

“I was supposed to grab onto this ledge and help me guide across,” she said. “Then I was grabbing for it and I missed it and I slipped and fell.”

Callaway was pinned at the waist. Friends, fellow hikers, park officials and eventually search and rescue teams came to help free her.

Hours went by, the sun set and nothing worked.

“Twelve hours passed and I was, like OK, because they had tried a lot of stuff already and it wasn’t really working, and I was in there pretty tight,” she said.

Seventeen hours of bad news took its toll on Bianca and her parents, who were waiting at the cave’s entrance.

"We went to the cave and realized it was worse than what I was expecting," said Menchu Callaway, Bianca’s mother.

"I started crying and breaking down a little bit,” said Louis Callaway, Bianca’s father. “Not too long after that, the guy walked by me and he said, ‘Well, they sent me more stuff for the drill, but it turns out we don't need it. They just got her free.’"

A pulley had helped lift the girl out of the crevice. She was exhausted and it took crews a half-hour to navigate her out of the cave.

"I was so tired. I wanted to move but I couldn't move, so they had to help me,” Bianca Callaway said.

"Once I saw her face, it was just, it didn't matter to me, I know she is gonna be OK," said Menchu Callaway.

Looking back on her ordeal, Bianca Callaway has only praise for those who freed her.

"I'm just really thankful for everyone who came out and helped me and prayed and was there,” she said. “I really appreciate it."