This hand sign is a simple gesture that quietly announces that the person doing this action is in some sort of distress.
The person using it may want you to call an emergency service, but do not assume that is what they want or need in the moment. Reach out to them and let them take the lead.
If you see someone using the Signal for Help in public or out of a window or door, calling 911 or emergency services is an appropriate response.
This Hand signal has already been proven successful in an abduction case in Kentucky. “The charge against a 61-year-old man accused of holding a 16-year-old girl captive until a driver on a Kentucky interstate noticed her using a distress signal made popular on TikTok has been increased to kidnapping.”
“The girl’s parents reported their daughter missing from Asheville, North Carolina, last week. Two days later, her hand signal — and the alert driver — enabled Kentucky sheriff’s deputies to stop the car and arrest Brick, authorities said.”