Missing teen rescued after making a hand gesture she learned from TikTok to signal for help

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/07/us/missing-teen-hand-gesture-asheville-trnd/index.html

 A missing teenager from North Carolina was rescued by Kentucky police after she signaled for help by using a hand gesture known on TikTok to represent violence at home, according to police.

The 16-year-old from Asheville, North Carolina, was reported missing by her parents on Tuesday, according to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky. On Thursday, a motorist in Kentucky called 911 to report seeing a girl in distress in a vehicle on the interstate.

"The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform 'Tik Tok' to represent violence at home -- I need help -- domestic violence," reads the statement posted on Friday by the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.

The hand gesture is a one-handed sign someone can use when in distress, according to the Canadian Women's Foundation. Someone using the signal holds their hand up with their palm facing out, then tucks their thumb into their hand and then closes their fingers to trap thumb.