When a man and a teenage girl boarded a flight from Seattle to San Francisco, Alaska Airlines flight attendant Shelia Frederick became suspicious. The man was well dressed while the girl was not and refused to make eye contact with anyone.
As she performed her duties, Shelia couldn’t stop thinking about the girl and devised a clever plan that required true courage—to rescue the young woman from a dangerous situation.
She couldn’t ignore her and tried to catch her eye while serving snacks. She shared her concerns with a colleague, and together they distracted the man while Shelia attempted to gain the girl’s attention. “Eventually she looked up, and the look in her eyes was heartbreaking, so I excused myself to go back, and I just broke down,” Shelia told Good Morning Britain.
She slipped a note and a pen into one of the airplane restrooms and locked it, hoping only the girl would know how to enter. While her colleague occupied the man, Shelia pretended to be writing and pointed toward the restroom, waiting for the girl to understand.
Fortunately, the girl asked to use the restroom. The man stayed outside, but Shelia kept him in view. “I left a note in one of the bathrooms,” she said. “She responded, ‘I need help.’”
Shelia informed the pilot, who contacted ground control to ensure authorities intercepted the man upon landing. You can hear the full story from the heroic flight attendant in the clip below.
Shelia has stayed in touch with the young woman she saved from human trafficking, and they have spoken several times over the years. According to the Western Journal, the girl is now in college. “If you see something, say something,” Shelia advises. Please share this to remind others to trust their instincts and to honor the bravery of Shelia Frederick.
