A girl who had been missing for several days was saved after she used hand signals she learned on TikTok to ask for help. According to the Laurel County, Kentucky Sheriff’s Office, the 16-year-old was able to catch the attention of another driver by using the hand gestures to show she was in danger.
The sheriff’s office explains that the hand gestures have become popularized on TikTok and “represent violence at home - I need help.” A witness in a car behind the car she was in recognized the signals and called 911 to report a teen who appeared to be in distress. Deputies were able to pull over the suspect’s car and found the missing teen in the backseat, and he’s been arrested.
The teen, who was reported missing on Tuesday by her parents in Asheville, North Carolina, told deputies she had traveled with the suspect through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
- The sheriff’s department didn’t share the sign the teen used, but advocates with the Canadian Women’s Foundation say a universal signal for help in a domestic violence situation can be done with one hand. Put your palm forward with your thumb “tucked in,” then close your other fingers over your thumb to “trap it.”
Source: USA Today