The Slingsby family are celebrating Thanksgiving a little later than most of us but the thanks goes a long way this year.
As they were making their way from Florida to Ohio, they stopped over in Franklin for refreshments and supplies. Traveling by way of an RV, which has become their mode of transportation as well as their home, the Slingsby family enjoy adventures and travels. However, no parent wants to take part in the journey that Cyndi and Robert Slingsby took over the last week.
While at the Wal-Mart in Franklin, the Slingsby’s 16-year-old son, Andrew, and his parents had a typical parent-teenage disagreement that would ordinarily be resolved but this time took a different path. Andrew wrote a note to his parents and left the RV without his cell phone and just $12 in his pocket along with a tent he had received for a recent birthday.
Franklin Police Department issued the following release on November 24th:
Andrew Slingsby, 16, of Florida, was last seen Saturday afternoon in the Walmart parking lot on Mallory Lane. The Florida family, destined for Ohio, had stopped their RV to take a break. During that break, there was a minor family disagreement. That disagreement led to Andrew suddenly leaving the RV with his hiking equipment, including a small tent. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Andrew’s parents say this is very out of character for him, and are extremely concerned. They are asking for the community’s help with finding their son and bringing him safely home. If you have any information on Andrew’s whereabouts, call Franklin Police at (615) 794-2513, or call 9-1-1.
Andrew left that area and hitchhiked to south of Franklin where the driver of the vehicle gave Andrew money for a hotel room for the night. The following morning, Andrew says he walked from the border of Tennessee to Huntsville, Alabama. It was there, where he was hitchhiking again, that he waas picked up by an adult daughter of a family of six in Huntsville. While spending time with that family, they agreed to buy Andrew a bus ticket to Miami. After reaching Atlanta, he was spotted by a Tennessee resident who had a layover at the Atlanta Greyhound bus station. After contacting the police with information, the police were able to track Andrew and instead of continuing his trip to Miami, he returned back to Huntsville, Alabama where he was reunited with his family.
Meanwhile, before Cyndi and Robert were reunited with Andrew, they continued to stay in Franklin. Unfamiliar with the area, it was the community which stepped in to meet the family’s needs. After hearing they had an RV, Christ Community Church offered to allow the Slingsbys to park their RV at the church while the search continued for their son. Members of the church also extended hospitality to the family by providing meals, and comfort during this trying time that no parent would ever imagine going through.
In addition to the community help, it was the assistance of social media which helped to locate Andrew. “A well informed public can make a world of difference in cases like this,” said FPD spokesman Lt. Charles Warner, crediting the traveling Franklin man with helping police safely locate the teen.
A Facebook page called Find Andrew Slingsby was created with the following flyer made by his parents. The original post with this flyer was shared over 204 times.
Cyndi Slingsby shared this information about her son on her Facebook page which was shared over 1,000 times. Each media outlet in the area shared the Franklin Police Department release along with citizens sharing the information. It was that sharing of information which led to the lead on Andrew. Walden, the Tennessee resident in the Atlanta Greyhound bus station, had just seen the information shared on Facebook when he spotted the teen in the bus depot.
When we spoke to Cyndi and Robert about their reunion with Andrew, Cyndi told us that she could barely stand. “I was standing next to a mailbox and when I saw him I could barely stand, I actually had to hold on to a mailbox near by.” After a brief stay in Franklin, the family will continue on their journey to Ohio to finally celebrate Thanksgiving with family, said Robert Slingsby. He went on to say that the community, police department and each person they came in contact with during their stay was very supportive and helpful to their family.
A vital piece to helping find Andrew was Detective Andrea Clark from the Franklin Police Department. When we spoke to Detective Clark she said, “It’s always a privilege to help others – especially in cases like this, where people are so deeply affected.”
Here are some statistics from the National Runaway Safe Line
Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year.
47% of runaway youth report conflict between them and a parent/guardian in the home.
Over 50% of youth in shelters or on the streets reported that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving but did not care
80% of runaway & homeless girls reported having been sexually or physically abused.
34% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported sexual abuse before leaving home.
43% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported physical abuse before leaving home.
End Slavery Tn Shared Statistics About Runaways:
33%: Percent of all runaways will be sexually exploited within 48 hours
90%: Percent of runaways ultimately end up in the commercial sex trade
Thanks to the community along with the Franklin Police Department, the Slingsby family is very thankful this year. Anytime you see a notice about a missing child or a runway, please share the information. You never know who will see and how it can help return that child to their family.
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