A dad rescued his kidnapped daughter before the police could find her after ’26 days of hell’.
Emmarae Gervasi was found alive on a boat after what has been described as ’26 days of hell’ by her father, below.
65-year-old Francis Buckheit was then arrested on charges of rape and kidnapping in relation to the criminal case.
14-year-old Gervasi was found by her father, Frank Gervasi, after he was contacted by an anonymous source who told him where she was being held.
The teenager had been missing since December from East Patchogue in Suffolk County. She had left her home to retrieve something from a Jeep just outside the residence, when she was taken.
Speaking to News 12, Frank said: ‘I did find her myself before police got there. It was the end of 26 days of hell seeing her alive in my arms. It was a gift from God. I can’t describe the feeling I had when I grabbed her,’
Buckheit pled not guilty to charges of rape, kidnapping and acting in a manner injurious to a child. He is currently being held without bail and will go back to court on Thursday morning.
Emmarae is recovering in hospital as the case is being investigated.
Frank shared a video on social media thanking the public for all their help in searching for the missing child.
He said: ‘She is home. She is in a facility and getting the help she needs and is safe,’.
‘I’d like to thank the community for all the support you gave us. Posting all the videos, pushing all the content, Handing out flyers, donating your time to look for my missing girl. It is those things that are going to help bring other kids home.
‘I got an anonymous tip yesterday, and I want to thank that person for coming forward and giving me information about my daughter. The phone call that I received was that she was on a boat in Islip. I followed it up on my own and I went down there to check.
‘I bust into the boat and recovered my daughter. She has been saved and is alive. I believe it was persistency that helped bring her home,’ Frank said.
He added that he believes Emmarae went with someone she knew but then became afraid to come back home ‘because of the consequences.’
Emmarae had gone to retrieve something from the parked car outside when she was spotted getting into a dark-colored vehicle without any coat or shoes on.
CCTV spotted her knocing on doors at a Bohemia motel the following day but she then dissapeared again
Frank added at the time: ‘I fear that she is being held against her will. I know she is with somebody and they are either convincing her to stay or won’t let her leave or worse she may be dead by now.’
‘I won’t stop looking until I find her.’
