For many people, airplanes are synonymous with vacations—a cheerful atmosphere where individuals travel to and from holiday destinations, briefly escaping their worries.
Shelia Frederick, a flight attendant at Alaskan Airlines, had a startling experience on a routine flight to San Francisco.
During the flight, Shelia noticed a well-dressed man sitting next to a young, blonde girl clad in worn-out attire. When their eyes met, Shelia felt an intense gaze as if the girl’s eyes were delving into her soul.
Sensing something amiss, Shelia left a paper and pen in the airplane restroom and signaled for the girl to go there.
Upon returning to the restroom, Shelia discovered a distressing note on the paper that read ‘Help me’.
She promptly informed the pilot, who contacted the police to meet them upon landing in San Francisco, as reported by the Independent.
It was later revealed that the girl was a victim of human trafficking, having been abducted two months earlier.
This incident occurred in 2011 when the girl was 14 years old. Following this event, Shelia joined Airline Ambassadors International, an organization established in 2009 by former flight attendant Nancy Rivard to train flight attendants in identifying human trafficking victims.
Today, members of this organization collaborate with customs and border protection in the US to combat human trafficking.
Nancy emphasizes that flight attendants can be better prepared for such situations by paying attention to certain indications.
Several weeks later, Shelia received a call from the girl she had rescued, expressing her gratitude for saving her life.
The girl was reunited with her family and received therapy to cope with the traumatic ordeal.
Shelia and the girl maintain contact to this day.
The UN estimates that approximately 1.2 million children fall victim to human trafficking worldwide each year. Human trafficking ranks as the third largest criminal activity globally, following drugs and weapons.
Both boys and girls are subjected to sexual exploitation, forced labor, military service, adoption, or coerced into thievery, begging, or smuggling.
Share this article to spread awareness of this crucial issue and to honor Shelia’s heroic actions and those of all flight attendants combating human trafficking!
