In response to the fatal flash flood that devastated Upper Makefield Township, a prayer vigil will be held at The Crossing Church on Thursday evening.
For those wishing to participate in the prayer vigil, The Crossing is located at 1895 Wrighstown Road in the Washington Crossing section of Upper Makefield Township. The vigil will begin at 7 p.m. in the Worship Center.
All members of the community, regardless of faith or background, are invited to attend the vigil.
The vigil is aimed at bringing the community together and support those who have lost loved ones by offering comfort and support, according to organizers.
In the wake of the flash flooding, the community has come together to express gratitude for the heroic efforts of the emergency responders who have been working tirelessly to rescue and recover those swept away by the floodwaters.
Throughout the past few days, The Crossing has been instrumental in assisting search efforts, offering its facility to aid in the rescue operations and as a media staging area.
Crews have continued to search the area for Matilda (Mattie) Sheils, 2, and Conrad Sheils, 9 months. Both were swept away in the flash flooding.
On Monday, Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck identified the victims killed as Enzo Depiero, a 78-year-old man from Newtown Township; Susan Barnhart, a 53-year-old woman from Titusville, New Jersey; Katheryn “Katie” Seley, a 32-year-old woman from Charleston, South Carolina; Yuko Love, a 64-year-old woman from Newtown Township; and Linda Depiero, a 74-year-old woman from Newtown Township.
All five victims’ autopsies were conducted Monday to ascertain the cause and manner of their deaths. The findings revealed that each of the victims succumbed to drowning as a direct result of the flash flood’s relentless force, Buck said.
