LAKE WORTH, Florida (AP) – An 8 year-old girl who was raped and buried alive told a friend she remembers her attacker towering over her before she passed out, then awoke seven hours later beneath a pile of rocks and concrete blocks when she heard the voices of rescuers.

The girl, who had been staying overnight at her godmother’s house, was reported missing early Sunday. She was hospitalised in good condition Monday and a teenage boy who also had been staying at the home was arrested. Authorities said he confessed.

“She said the last thing she remembers is that he looked over her with these big eyes and then she said she went to sleep.

She said she was waiting for us to find her,” said 18 year-old Danielle Holloman, a family friend who calls the girl her sister.

“She said she knew we would come get her. That’s why as soon as the police came, she wiggled her fingers,” Holloman said Monday.

The girl was found Sunday morning when police Sgt Mike Hall climbed into a 7.5-metre-long (25-foot-long) trash bin, opened the lid to a 114-litre (30-gallon) recycling container and saw part of her hand and foot peeking out from under heavy concrete slabs.

Hall told ABC’s “Good Morning America” he summoned a fellow officer “and he shouted out, you know, ‘her finger is moving!’ And at that point, the expression on everybody’s face just changed. I mean, it went from a hopeless scene to there’s hope there now.”

Police Sgt Dan Boland said there was no doubt that the girl would have been dead if Hall hadn’t found her.

“She was dehydrated and in rough shape with pieces of cement blocks on top of her and she was face down,” Boland said. “There was no way for her to get out on her own.”

She had been sexually assaulted, authorities said.

“When a child is abducted and abandoned like this, the critical thing is time,” Police Chief William Smith said. “That we found this child alive is a miracle.”

The 8 year-old had been staying overnight at her godmother’s house. After police found her, the girl named her attacker and described him. The teenage boy she named, a friend who was staying in the home, was arrested.

Authorities said Milagro Cunningham, 17, confessed and was charged with attempted murder, sexual battery on a child under 12, and false imprisonment of a victim under age 13, police said. A court appearance was scheduled Monday.