LEARN THIS HAND SIGNAL
IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
I recently read an article that conveyed a piece of information that I believe everyone should know. A 61-year-old man abducted a 16-year-old girl.
As the man drove the girl around the Midwest, she would repeatedly make a hand gesture toward unassuming cars cruising by. The hand signal, which
the girl learned on TikTok, is simply referred to as the “signal for help.”
The hand gesture was created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation in 2020, anticipating domestic violence victims may need to use it during quarantine.
The gesture is a one-handed sign where you show your palm as if to give a high-five, then tuck the thumb into your palm and lower the remaining four fingers over it.
After making this gesture toward countless cars, one astute citizen in Kentucky saw the girl’s silent pleas for help right around noon.
While it was the hand gesture that got his attention, he later said he also saw her mouthing the words “help me.”
He called 9-1-1, relayed that a girl in a car may be in danger, then followed along until officers came to pursue.
The kidnapper was arrested and charged with many crimes, and the girl was returned to her family — alive.
“I really believe that this girl’s life was saved,” said Laurel County (Kentucky) Sheriff’ s Office spokesman Deputy Gilbert Acciardo.
Just imagine how this could have turned out had this girl not been making the attention- getting hand gesture.
The important thing to note is this isn’t something just for youths. Adults should learn this sign as well.
An article by deseret.com states the Canadian Women’s Foundation suggests if you see someone making the sign, check in with the person
safely to find out what they need and want you to do.
In you know them, this could mean calling them and asking questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.”
You could ask if the person would like you to call 911 or if you should call a shelter for them.
Another option would be to use any form of communication to ask general questions about helping or what kind of support the person needs.
They suggest asking, “Do you want me to reach out to you directly?” Or “Can I check in with you?”
The Foundation explains the “signal for help” doesn’t necessarily mean to call 911 right away. The person may want to talk with you or get more information. But if you believe the person to be in immediate danger, you should call 911, just like the driver did in the missing girl case.
It can be really hard to tell if someone needs help.
And for those who need help, it can be even harder to ask for it or seek it out.
As we go through the holiday season and into the New Year, be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention for those who seem like they could be in trouble.
You never know when you’re going to see a sign for help.
If you do, you now know what to do. Be alert. Be safe. And be careful. Walters can be reached at twalters@ gannett.com
A woman enacts the “signal for help” hand gesture while talking to a friend on her cell phone. The “signal for help” hand gesture was created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation in 2020, anticipating domestic violence victims may need to use it during quarantine. PROVIDED