Shelia Fedrick, a 49-year-old flight attendant, saw a girl with greasy blonde hair who seemed to be 14 or 15 years old seated next to a well-dressed older guy on an Alaska Airlines aircraft from Seattle to San Francisco.

Shelia expressed her doubts about the traveling companions’ age and appearance differences. However, the flight attendant was especially struck by the girl who seemed to have gone through hell.

When Shelia approached them, the girl allegedly refused to talk or even make eye contact. While the hostesses attempted to converse, the guy seated next to her kept meddling and became defensive.

Shelia said that something in the back of her mind told her that something was not right. It was then that Shelia devised a strategy. She was successful in convincing the girl to go to the restroom, where the flight attendant had left her a message taped to the mirror.

Shelia said that the girl replied with the remark that she needed assistance. Shelia told the captain about the man right away. The captain told the police, and when the plane landed in San Francisco, detectives were waiting at the gate.

It was later determined that the girl was a victim of human trafficking, and Shelia had just saved her life.

Shelia said that she had maintained contact with the girl, who is now in college. Shelia had written her phone number on the letter she had left for her, and the girl remembered it because she phoned her a few weeks later.

According to the research, more than 50,000 women and girls are estimated to be traded into the United States for pros.t.itution each year. Last year, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 2,000 people traffickers and identified 400 victims.

Flight attendants are now taught how to spot signs of human trafficking as part of their training.