Effort to find 2 children lost in Bucks flash flood experiences 'setback' due to weather: Police
Some 100 officials, as well as drones and cadaver dogs, combed the area near the creek that drains into the Delaware River.
UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A broad effort to find two young siblings who were swept away from their car during flash flooding in the Philadelphia suburbs over the weekend may soon pivot to underwater searching.
Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer said he hoped to continue the search for Matilda Sheils, 2, and her 9-month-old brother Conrad Sheils on Wednesday morning, but due to the weather conditions, it is temporarily on hold.
"Unfortunately, weather and river conditions are not favorable nor conducive for what we had planned for today's search operations. The area and conditions will be continuously monitored throughout the day and if we are able to deploy our assets we will do so. This setback has us all frustrated as we are desperate to bring Mattie and Conrad home," the Upper Makefield Township Police Department said in a Facebook post.
During a news conference on Tuesday, authorities describe what the search would look like.
"That will be underwater assets, mainly in the creek. We will work out from there. We'll still have K-9 assets in place. But we are going to begin to scale down, for the land has been covered," said Brewer.
With the search in a fifth day, officials acknowledged the many people who have have asked to volunteer to help but said they are not needed. Brewer asked people to avoid the area.
Some 100 officials, as well as drones and cadaver dogs, have combed the area near the creek that drains into the Delaware River.
The search has covered about 117 acres, with those on land logging some 160 miles, often going back and forth over the same ground, he said.
The children are members of a Charleston, South Carolina, family that was visiting relatives and friends when they got hit by a "wall of water" Saturday, Brewer said.
The children's father, Jim Sheils, grabbed their 4-year-old son, while the children's mother, Katie Seley, and a grandmother grabbed the other children, Brewer said.
Sheils and his son made it to safety, but Seley and the grandmother were swept away.
The grandmother survived, but Seley was among the five people who drowned, according to the Bucks County Coroner's office.
The others who died were Enzo Depiero, 78, and Linda Depiero, 74, of Newtown; Yuko Love, 64, of Newtown; and Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, New Jersey, Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck said.
The uncle of the missing children, Scott Ellis, spoke at a news conference on Monday afternoon, thanking the first responders for their ongoing efforts.
"Their compassion, kindness and bravery have given us strength in this unspeakably difficult time - and their commitment to bringing Conrad and Mattie home," Ellis said.
"This flash flood, it came up within a matter of minutes," said Furman Hendrickson, who lives near Houghs Creek and has watched the massive search for the children over the past several days in his neighborhood.
"Going up and down Houghs Creek removing debris piles, chain saws out there," said Hendrickson. "I watched a police officer in his full uniform come out of that creek covered with mud and water."
A prayer vigil will be held at The Crossing church on Wrightstown Road on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. to honor the victims and their families.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
