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Emmarae "Emma" Gervasi was last seen on Terrell Street in Patchogue around 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9. Her father, Frank Gervasi, found her on a boat named The Phoenix on Jan. 3, 26 days after her disappearance, thanks to an anonymous tip, he tells Daily Voice.
“The phone call I received was that she was on a boat in Islip, which I didn’t want to believe at the time,” he said in a video shared to Facebook.
Gervasi's glad he did, though. As he busted into the yacht, he found his daughter, "strung out but coherent," Gervasi said. “She wasn’t allowed to leave the boat for many days,” he added.
Gervasi tells Daily Voice he's certain that his daughter was a victim of sex trafficking.
The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed an arrest had been made in the case but pointed Daily Voice to the Suffolk County DA, who did not immediately return Daily Voice's request for comment.
After rescuing his daughter, Gervasi contacted the authorities. “When I texted the detective that I had my daughter, they sent the SWAT team and everyone. The police did a great job."
Gervasi credited social media with helping to bring his daughter home.
"I believe it was persistency that helped bring her home," he said.
Emma is currently in a facility and receiving treatment. “She’s safe and getting the help she needs,” Gervasi said.
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