A South Carolina mom died after her family was caught in a flash flood. A few members survived after the torrent of water swept the family away. While the deluge threatened to wash everyone away, the mother tried to get two of her kids to safety. Her young ones are still missing.
Tragedy struck in Pennsylvania over the weekend when a flash flood spilled into the streets, sweeping away cars and filling houses. When the sudden downpour hit, 11 vehicles were caught in the torrent of water while standing on the General Washington Memorial Boulevard.
The death toll currently stands at five, although a few people are still missing. Among those who lost their lives in the unexpected flood is 32-year-old Katie Seley, a South Carolina mom who was visiting relatives with her family when the unexpected happened.
While Katie lost her life, her husband, Jim Sheils, their oldest son, Jack, 4, and her 62-year-old mother, Dahlia, luckily survived the flood. Although three family members were safe, Katie and her mother tried to get the other two children, Mattie and Conrad, to safety. Despite their efforts, the torrent’s force overpowered them, snatching them away from their desperate grasp.
While the family has refrained from speaking to the press directly, they have asked a spokesperson to communicate on their behalf to explain what happened. The spokesperson explained that the family visiting family and friends in Pennsylvania were going to a barbeque when the torrent of water suddenly hit them.
Thankfully, the grandmother could muster her strength and pull herself out of the raging current of water. Shortly after the harrowing incident, she was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Search teams showed up soon after the flood started and recovered Katie’s body in the wreckage left behind by the flash storm. Tragically, the family’s other two children weren’t found yet.
Katie, her husband, their three kids, and Katie’s mom were spending some time with relatives when the flash flood struck without warning. The family was in their car when the water spilled through the streets, and Jim had to act fast. He managed to get his oldest son to safety while his wife and mother-in-law tried to grab the other two kids.
The family also thanked the community for their unwavering support, noting that it has helped them remain strong during this challenging time.
While Katie’s mom also made it out of the rushing water, the mother-of-three couldn’t get to safety in time, and she and her two children were washed away in the flood. Katie’s lifeless body was discovered shortly after the incident, as she succumbed to the deluge’s overwhelming force. Search teams had to comb through the wreckage left by the flood.
The family elaborated on the incident, explaining that the water came out of nowhere and caught everyone entirely off guard. They made it clear that they never drove into a water-filled street. Instead, the flood rushed around them while they were driving along, sweeping around the car and almost carrying them away.
While the search teams showed up to assist them after Jim, his mother-in-law, and his oldest son got to safety, they suspended their efforts briefly. The family assured everyone that the search teams would continue their efforts the next day, and a press conference was scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Washington Crossing United Methodist Church.
Pictures of the flood and the aftermath showed the raw strength of the water. The deluge had left numerous cars upturned, ripped branches from trees, and filled countless local houses, causing vast damage to the local infrastructure. Search teams had to suspend their efforts while waiting for the torrent to die.
The rescue efforts could only resume the following day once the weather had cleared up and the floodwaters had subsided. As soon as the rescue crews had a clear opportunity to go out and continue their search, they rallied several boats to search Delaware and assembled a squad of drones to fine-comb the area.
The Ongoing Search
While they have recovered Katie’s body, there’s still a “massive” ongoing search for the two missing children, nine months and two years old. The surviving family members released a statement shortly after the tragedy, thanking everyone involved in the rescue efforts. A spokesperson wrote:
“Their compassion, kindness, and bravery have given us strength in this unspeakably difficult time, and their commitment to bringing Conrad and Mattie home is unwavering. We are thankful that they were able to save so many affected by these unprecedented floods.”
The family also thanked the community for their unwavering support, noting that it has helped them remain strong during this challenging time. The family asked for privacy, saying they would not be releasing any future statements, nor would they answer any questions while they were grieving.
Katie was only one of the people who died during the flood. The other four people were Enzo Depiero, a 78-year-old man from Newtown Township; Linda Depiero, a 74-year-old woman from Newtown Township; Susan Barnhart, a 53-year-old woman from Titusville, New Jersey; and Yuko Love, a 64-year-old woman from Newtown Township
Time Brewer, the Upper Makefield Fire Chief, commented on the flood, noting that it came out of nowhere; the storms dumped about six to seven inches of rain within an hour and caused unimaginable damage to local property.
He commented that he thought Hurricane Ida was an unexpected natural disaster but confessed that the flood had proven even more destructive. He noted, “In my 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The Upper Makefield Township Police Department continues its search and has solicited that people pray for the families involved while granting them privacy as they face this life-altering tragedy.
The Sheils expressed their gratitude toward everyone working toward saving those taken by the flood. They wrote, “We truly appreciate the overwhelming support the community and those across the nation have shown for these families and for all of the first responders. We cannot thank you all enough and know that what you’ve done has not gone unnoticed. God bless.”