Speaking under her breath, Fedrick instructed the girl to visit one of the plane’s toilets, where she left a note for her on the mirror. The girl left a message in the same place confirming that she needed help.
Fedrick informed the pilot, who alerted police. Officers were waiting at the terminal when the plane arrived in San Francisco and it was subsequently discovered that the girl was the victim of human trafficking.
Fedrick said: “I’ve been a flight attendant for 10 years and it’s like I am going all the way back to when I was in training.
“And I was like, I could have seen these young girls and young boys and didn’t even know. If you see something, say something.”
Fedrick is still in touch with the girl, who is now attending college: “I put my phone number on the note that I left for her and I guess she memorised it, so a few weeks later, she called me,” she said.
In 2016, 2,000 people were arrested for human trafficking by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with 400 victims freed.
