'Utterly devastated': Search continues for 2 young siblings swept away in Pennsylvania flood
UPPER MAKEFIELD, Penn. – The search continued Tuesday for Conrad and Matilda "Mattie" Sheils, two children swept away by Pennsylvania floodwaters Saturday who haven't been seen since. Their mother and at least four others were killed.
The children, siblings from South Carolina, were ripped from their family's arms as they struggled to get to safety amid a torrent of floodwater spilling from Houghs Creek on Saturday.
Their mother, Katie Seley, 32, was found dead that night. She had been holding one of the children. Seley's mother held the other child, but lost her grip. The woman was rescued Saturday evening. Seley's fiance and the couple's oldest child also survived.
But Mattie, 2, and Conrad, 9 months, have not been seen since. Rescue crews have been searching — and hoping — ever since.
What happened to the children?
As heavy summer rains pounded the central county and saturated already soggy ground, unsuspecting motorists in 11 vehicles found themselves trapped in rising waters on Route 532.
Some called county 911 for help as others left their vehicles seeking safety. Among those who tried to flee to safety were Jim Sheils; his fiancee (Seley); their three children, 4-year-old Jack, 2-year-old Mattie and 9-month-old Conrad; and Katie's mother, Dahlia Galindez. Sheils held Jack, Seley held Conrad, and Galindez held Mattie. The churning water swept Katie, Conrad and Mattie away. Sheils, Jack and Galindez survived.
The family was visiting the area from South Carolina, and was on their way to a family cookout Saturday evening when their car was overcome by raging waters.
The floodwaters shoved cars into a guardrail, even flipping one, as motorists sought safety. It was coincidence the Upper Makefield Fire Department had been dispatched to the area on a call of a lightning strike on a utility pole, close to the scene.
Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer witnessed the scene while his crew began rescue operations and saved at least eight people, including a firefighter in a command car after it became trapped in rising water.
'It happened so fast': Floodwaters overtook cars quickly
None of the drivers tried to drive through the floodwaters, Brewer said. A wall of water simply came, surrounded them and rose quickly. Brewer and his crew watched helplessly as motorists were swept from their grasp.
"It just happened so fast, no one was expecting it," he said.
A cubic square foot of water contains 7.48 gallons and weighs 62 pounds. Last weekend's storm sent tens of thousands of cubic square feet of water rushing down Hough's Creek, its speed accelerated by the nearly 100-foot drop it takes on its sloping, 2-mile run to the Delaware River.
"That kind of water has the power to move cars off the road," Brewer said. "Now imagine what that force can do to a person."
PREVIOUSLY:Pennsylvania flash flooding kills 5, sweeps away missing siblings
Search continues for children
"It's anyone's guess where they are," Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer said.
A search effort as unprecedented in the township as last weekend's deadly disaster remains underway, with local, state and federal authorities employing drones, dogs and boats in a wooded area where the Hough's Creek catastrophe unfolded Saturday evening.
More than 100 crews concentrated Monday on a 40-acre area south where the flooding was the worst, Brewer said, and more resources will be added to the search Tuesday.
'Utterly devastated': Family speaks out
Scott Ellis, who said he was a brother-in-law of Jim Sheils, said Monday afternoon his family was grateful for the "enormous efforts" of emergency responders who rescued victims as the family grieved its loss.
“As you can imagine, we are utterly devastated by the incredible loss our family has suffered,” he said.
Ellis thanked the community for its "incredible outpouring of support, love, prayers and kindness."
"It has bolstered us all," he said.
Who were the victims?
Three Newtown Township residents and one Titusville, New Jersey, woman are among the five people who died Saturday in Upper Makefield floodwaters, according to Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck.
The victims were identified as:
- Enzo Depiero, 78, and his wife Linda, 74, of Newtown Township
- Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, New Jersey
- Yuko Love, 64, of Newtown Township
- Kathryn "Katie" Seley, 32, of Charleston, South Carolina
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY