UPDATE: Five Bodies Recovered, Crews Continue Search For Two Children
UPDATED: 11:40 a.m., Sunday:
Upper Makefield Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Tim Brewer told reporters at an 11:30 a.m. update that a fourth body was recovered just before 11 a.m.
As of 11:30 a.m., close to 100 searchers from around the region and from both sides of the river continued searching for a 9-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, the two were siblings. An adult is also being searched for.
Original Story:
At a Sunday morning press conference, Upper Makefield Township authorities confirmed two women and a man died in Saturday evening’s severe flash flooding. They also confirmed four people remained missing, including a 9-month-old baby.
Tim Brewer, the chief of the Upper Makefield Township Volunteer Fire Company, told reporters the flood came quickly and swept vehicles and victims away. The worst flooding was in the 1000 block of Washington Crossing Road.
Approximately 75 rescuers were searching in the area near where 11 cars were caught in the flooding, the Houghs Creek, the Delaware Canal, and the Delaware River. One of the vehicles was reported to have washed more than 1.5 miles from the scene.
Three cars were swept away by the flooding, and Brewer said all vehicles had been recovered. Those in the cars had not been found as of 9 a.m.
Crews searched Saturday evening and night. A more intense search kicked into gear Sunday at daybreak, with firefighters moving through the water and between cliffs.
“This is a very inaccessible area of the township,” Brewer said.
Searchers were using boats, were walking the banks of the water, and were in the the water.
“We are treating this as a rescue, but we are fairly certain were are in a recovery mission,” Brewer said.
Several of the victims were from one family.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
The coroner’s office and Upper Makefield Township authorities did not release the names of those who were deceased or missing. Brewer stated the people were not just locals but from other areas.
In addition to searchers from across Bucks County, New Jersey, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia crews were assisting. Urban search and rescue teams with specialized equipment were brought to the scene.
Emergency crews were caught in the flooding as they responded to a call of a pole struck by lightning, and quickly redeployed once they saw the flooding.
Brewer said the search is dependent on Sunday’s weather, which included the risk of more possible flooding.
In speaking with reporters, the fire chief said the 11 vehicles that were caught in the flooding didn’t drive into it. The motorists were traveling along Washington Crossing Road as the water began rushing in, causing them to be trapped.
Upper Makefield Chief of Police Mark Schmidt said there was numerous agencies assisting the municipality in the wake of the flooding. The Bucks County Major Incident Response Team brought in officers, deputies, and rangers from around the county to assist police and direct traffic.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania set up an emergency assistance location at the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company station on South Main Street in Yardley Borough.
The flooding came on around 6 p.m. as heavy rain fell. Between 6 and 7 inches of rain fell on Upper Makefield and Lower Makefield townships.
As of 9 a.m., Taylorsville Road from Washington Crossing Road (Route 532) to I-295 was closed, River Road by Francisco’s was closed, and River Road between Washington Crossing Road (Route 532) and Mt. Eyre Road was closed.
