Five victims identified in Upper Makefield. Search for Mattie and Conrad continues

UPPER MAKEFIELD - Three Newtown Township residents and one Titusville New Jersey woman are among the five people who died Saturday in Upper Makefield flash floodwaters as the search for two missing children will continue into Tuesday.

Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck released the identities of the remaining victims who were swept away Saturday when the vehicles they were driving were overtaken by rapidly rising waters in Houghs Creek, a tributary of the nearby Delaware River, officials said.

They are identified as:

• Enzo Depiero, 78, and his wife Linda, 74, of Newtown Township

• Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, New Jersey

• Yuko Love, 64, of Newtown Township

Earlier Monday officials released the name of the fifth and youngest confirmed victim, Kathryn "Katie" Seley, 32, of Charleston, South Carolina. Her children, Conrad Sheils, 9 months, and Matilda Sheils, 2, are the only unaccounted for victims of Saturday's torrential rainstorm.

Autopsies performed Monday determined all five victims died of accidental drowning, and Love also had multiple injuries that contributed to her death, Buck said.

At the Monday afternoon update, Upper Makefield fire Chief Tim Brewer emphasized the drivers who were caught in the flash flood could not have avoided the sudden raging water.

"These people did not drive into high water," Brewer said. "Every one of these people were caught. The wall of water came to them. They did not drive into the water and we are confident when we say that."

Rescue crews bolstered by additional resources including sonar, marine divers, boat crews, cadaver and rescue search dogs as well as air assets and drones were brought in Monday to continue the search for the Sheils children.

More than 100 crews concentrated on an 40-acre area south of Washington Crossing Road (Route 532) where the flooding was the worst, Brewer said.

More resources will be added to the search efforts on Tuesday.

Also speaking Monday afternoon was Scott Ellis, who identified himself as a brother-in-law of Jim Sheils, fiancé of Seley and father of their three children.

“As you can imagine, we are utterly devastated by the incredible loss our family has suffered,” he said.

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On behalf of his family, Ellis expressed deep gratitude to the "enormous efforts" of so many emergency responders 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 unspeakably difficult time. And their commitment to bringing Conrad and Mattie home is unwavering," Ellis said. "We are thankful that they were able to save so many affected by these unprecedented floods, and we are grateful that they were able to recover many who have been lost."

Ellis also thanked the community for its "incredible outpouring of support, love, prayers and kindness."

"It has bolstered us all," he said.

The Seley-Sheils family, who was visiting the area, was driving on Washington Crossing Road on their way to a family cookout Saturday evening when their car was overcome by raging waters that had spilled over Houghs Creek.

James Sheils grabbed their 4-year-old son, Jack, and managed to safely escape water. Seley, who was holding onto her infant son and her mother, Dahlia Galindez, who was holding Mattie, were swept away.

Galindez survived, but she lost her grip on her granddaughter, officials said.

Photos: Who are the Sheils-Seley family South Carolina family torn apart by Upper Makefield fatal floods identified

The clear and dry weather Monday allowed a "massive deployment" of search resources along treacherous Houghs Creek, while boat teams searched the nearby Delaware River for the missing children.

"We are better than we were yesterday. We have basically tripled the number of assets in the area," Brewer said earlier Monday. "We ask everyone to keep the families in their thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time."

Roads that experienced the worst flooding Washington Crossing Road between Meadowview Drive and Wrightstown Road will remain closed indefinitely as a result of damage. Taylorsville Road will also remain closed between Route 532 and Mt. Eyre Road.

Officials added that other intermittent road closures may occur as a result of ongoing search efforts.

Bucks County Commission Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia confirmed Monday morning that commissioners had signed a disaster declaration in response to the flooding. The declaration will be ratified at Wednesday's commissioners meeting.

"This has been a catastrophic personal event for the families involved and for our first responders," Marseglia said. "I would ask that you keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers."

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a native of neighboring Montgomery County, on Sunday pledged his administration's full assistance with the flood recovery efforts.

"On behalf of 13 million Pennsylvanians, I want Bucks County to know that we are here with you. We are praying with you, and we will do everything within our power to lift you up," the governor said.

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Floods claim five lives: Five now dead, two children missing, in Delaware River flooding in Bucks County

Sunday evening, Brewer confirmed rescuers had recovered the bodies of Love and Linda Depiero, who were about 100 yards apart and found one mile south of Taylorsville Road in Houghs Creek runs along the 1000 block of Washington Crossing Road between Stonebridge Crossing and Wrightstown roads.

Depiero's husband was recovered on Saturday night along with Seley and Barnhart whose vehicles were all found in Houghs Creek, officials said.

At least two of the confirmed dead were swept away after they got out of their vehicles, Brewer said. Another victim was found in the vehicle.

Clean up and damage assessment efforts are continuing with many roads surrounding the flooded areas remained closed Sunday with Bucks County Park Rangers and sheriff deputies standing guard.

A prolonged rain event over two hours Saturday evening dropped up to 6 inches of rain along the corridor between Newtown and New Hope and as far west as Jamison and continued into Mercer County, New Jersey.

A look at flooding in Lower Makefield In Lower Makefield, homes and properties damaged by flash flood

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Delaware River flash floods claimed several lives, ripped families apart