The mother of a 21-year-old woman who went missing in Thailand in recent days has praised the power of social media after her child was located in Krabi Airport following numerous online appeals.
Sam Taylor from Swanage in Dorset endured every parent's worst nightmare when she realised her daughter had gone missing in a foreign country after making contact with her family in an incredibly distressed state.
Having told her parents that she wanted to return home, Grace Taylor explained that she was "frightened" and insisted that "people were trying to hurt her" before accepting her family's offer to fly her back to Britain.
However, Grace failed to board her flight, sparking incredible concern among friends and family who took to social media to appeal for help in locating the young woman who had been unreachable for a week prior to her distressed phone call home.
Posting innumerable appeals on Facebook, a grief-stricken Sam eventually learned that her daughter had been found and was currently detained in Krabi airport under the protection of a tourist police officer - a development which Sam attributes to the power of social media.
Going online to update the public on her daughter's case, Sam, who had learned that her daughter had been "disoriented" in recent days, wrote: "Our Gracie has been found, we don't as yet know what has happened. We are working to get her home safely."
"Thank you all so very much for your efforts and kind words of encouragement and thank goodness for the power of social media over the last few days plus the help of the Police and local authorities in Thailand."
Confirming the developments, Dorset Police released a statement, saying: "Dorset Police has been contacted by Interpol overnight and they have reported that missing woman Grace Taylor has been located at Krabi airport and is being cared for by an officer from the tourist police."
"Her family have been informed and arrangements are under way to bring Grace back to England," they explained, with media outlets reporting that a family member is scheduled to travel to Thailand to bring Grace home.
We couldn't be more relieved to hear that Grace has been located and is currently being cared for,
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