Flight attendant shares story of saving trafficking victim

When Shelia Fedrick saw a disheveled girl sitting next to a well-dressed older man on her flight, she felt worried.

The teenager “looked like she had been through pure hell,” the flight attendant told NBC. The man she was with wouldn’t let her speak to anyone.

Ms. Fedrick left a note for the girl in the plane’s bathroom, which allowed the girl to ask for help.

It turned out the girl was a victim of human trafficking, and Ms. Fedrick’s quick thinking helped save her.

When the plane landed, the pilot notified the police, who were waiting to assist.

The 2011 incident on Alaska Airlines was reported in US media this week. It highlights the efforts of the charity Airline Ambassadors to train airline staff on how to spot and combat human trafficking.

According to Airline Ambassadors’ website, trafficking victims might look scared of uniformed security, be unsure of where they are going, and seem nervous. They might also give rehearsed answers and wear clothes that don’t match their destination.

Traffickers might answer questions for the victim, watch them closely, and not know their personal details, the organization added.

Nancy Rivard, the founder of Airline Ambassadors, told NBC: “We advise people not to try to rescue victims themselves because it can put both the victim and you in danger.”

Instead, Airline Ambassadors recommends that flight attendants avoid confronting anyone directly or showing overt concern. Instead, they should ask the pilot to alert the airport.

In Ms. Fedrick’s case, she managed to communicate discreetly with the girl by whispering to her to go to the plane’s bathroom. She left a note on the mirror, which the girl used to indicate she needed help, Ms. Fedrick told 10News.

The girl is now attending college and has kept in touch with Ms. Fedrick, 10News reports.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 7,572 trafficking cases in the US in 2016.

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