The fatalities of the weekend’s flash floods in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, have been identified by the coroner’s office. Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck released the names of the victims: Enzo Depiero, 78, of Newtown Township; Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, New Jersey; Katheryn Seley, 32, of Charleston, South Carolina; Yuko Love, 64, of Newtown Township; and Linda Depiero, 74, of Newtown Township.
Crews recovered Enzo Depiero, Barnhart, and Seley on Saturday, and Buck said they located Linda and Love Depiero on Sunday. Buck stated that the five fatalities had been determined to be weather-related accidents. Buck reported that sudden flooding caused the deaths of five people and injuries to Love.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s families and friends during this extremely difficult time,” Buck said. “It is a sad time for these families, this community and all of Bucks County.” As a result of the flash flooding, two children are still missing.
Thw tweet verifies the news:
5 victims killed in Bucks County flash floods ID’d; search for 2 children continues #BreakingNews #Breaking #Flood #News #DailyNews #DailyNewsUpdates #NewsUpdate #LatestNews https://t.co/ZgHZJvR1ie pic.twitter.com/mn16xTpQFa
— Brett Murphy (@bmurphypointman) July 18, 2023
Police said the hunt for Matilda Sheils, 2, and her brother Conrad Sheils, 9 months, resumed on Monday morning. Jim Sheils, his son, age 4, and his mother both made it through the flood safely. However, their mother Seley, who was 32 years old, passed away.
“As they tried to escape the fierce flood waters, dad took his 4-year-old son while the mother and grandmother grabbed the two additional children, ages 9 months and 2 years,” Upper Makefield Township Fire Chief Tim Brewer said.
“Miraculously, dad and his son got out safely, however, the grandmother, the mother and the two children were swept away by the flood waters. And we have recovered the mother and she is one of the deceased.” Scott Ellis, Matilda and Conrad’s uncle, has expressed the family’s gratitude for the outpouring of love and support.
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“Our family would like to extend our deepest gratitude, the enormous efforts of so many emergency personnel who have been working tirelessly in dangerous and difficult conditions to rescue the victims of this horrific tragedy. Their compassion, kindness and bravery have given us strength in this unspeakable time,” Ellis said.
On Monday, Brewer stated that rescue efforts were aided by sonar, air, and sea operations. Teams also made use of rescue dogs. The investigation will continue into Tuesday morning. Brewer has stated that resources from neighboring states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey will be sent in to aid in the hunt.
On Saturday, emergency crews from all throughout Bucks County were put through their paces by a sudden flash flood. Around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, torrential rainfall led to a flash flood. Six to seven inches of rain fell in less than an hour, which is unprecedented for the area. Numerous roads were damaged and at least 11 vehicles were stuck.
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