Flight Attendant Saves Trafficked Girl

For most, flying is linked with vacations, but not for everyone. Sheila Frederick, a 49-year-old Alaska Airlines flight attendant with over 15 years of experience, faced a life-changing event on a flight from Seattle to San Francisco.
Sheila noticed a blonde girl in shabby clothes sitting next to an older man in fine attire. The girl’s piercing look gave Sheila a sense of urgency. “I had a pretty odd impression of this girl. I sensed that there was a problem,” she said. The stark contrast between their appearances was alarming.

Sheila confronted them; the man acted defensively while the girl remained silent. “At first, I sensed that something was off. He was much more mature than the girl sitting next to him, and he reacted violently to any movement around him,” she recalled.
Sheila left a note in the restroom for the girl, who wrote back, “I need help.” Sheila immediately alerted authorities. Upon landing, police arrested the man and discovered the 14-year-old girl was a human trafficking victim, kidnapped two months earlier.

Retired flight attendant Nancy Rivard’s Airline Ambassadors International trains attendants to spot trafficking signs. After this incident, Sheila received further training from them.