CLEVELAND — Emma Linek was found safe by a Samaritan and taken to a nearby police station in Atlanta, her mother confirmed to News 5 on Sunday afternoon.
"She was in a park and she was crying," Eleanor Linek told News 5. "And this person that found her was walking by and then turned around and walked back and started talking to her and saw that she was in distress and upset."
Emma Linek, 17-years-old, was last seen on Tuesday. The family dropped her off at Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland. Her mom said they were dropping her off for a flight to Boston, where Emma attends a therapeutic boarding school. Her mother explained that Emma missed her original flight and the airline re-routed Emma on another flight to Boston, this time with a connecting flight in Atlanta.
RELATED: Atlanta FBI joins search for missing 17-year-old Twinsburg girl who was last seen Tuesday
But Emma never got on the plane from Atlanta to Boston.
The FBI joined the search on Friday, declaring Emma "endangered" since she was without her needed medication.
#UPDATE: 17 Year old Emma Linek has been located and is safe. Emma walked into a local police department late this afternoon and has been reunited w/ her father. FBI Atlanta appreciates the help of the media and public in spreading her picture and for all the information & tips. pic.twitter.com/XVF1UpZXFS
— FBI Atlanta (@FBIAtlanta) September 11, 2022
Linek said Emma does not have a cell phone with her and only had a carry-on bag.
"I don't know where she slept," Eleanor Linek said. "I don't know what she ate. I don't know what she did while she was down there. But she's got a strong will that she survived that in a huge city like Atlanta."
There are still many details to unfold in this investigation.
"I just couldn't believe it," Eleanor Linek added. "I was so overjoyed and burst into tears. All the grief and the anger, the stress and the worry of the last six days is just behind me now because the only thing that's important is she was found and she's coming home to us."
Emma Linek will now travel back to Northeast Ohio with her father and other family members, who were already searching in Atlanta for her.
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