UPDATE 08/04/2023: Zack DiPiero’s parents passed away during the PA flood. He didn’t know until he texted them, notifying them of the flood, which he said was “like a biblical event.”
“One minute it was up to your shins, and cars were moving around and it was very scary and people were trying to run for cover, and then the next minute it was up over their head,” he said, during a vigil. “In addition to the super heavy instant rainfall, at that exact moment, all of the creeks also converged and just this huge wall of water came at everybody.”
“My mom was always trying to get out of the house, my dad’s always trying to stay in. This was a compromise. We all knew it was going to rain, but we didn’t know there would be floods. This was all a big surprise.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Photo credit: Upper Wakefield Police
The search for 9-month-old Conrad Shiels has ended. The boy, swept away in the same flooding that claimed the life of his two-year-old sister, mother, and grandmother.
“At this point, we have exhausted all means of attempting to locate Conrad,” Upper Makefield Township Police Department said. “With broken hearts, we regretfully announce that the active search for Conrad has concluded.”
“We lost 7 precious lives, 6 of whom were returned to their families. 9-month-old Conrad was still missing and we continued exhaustive search efforts to bring him home.”
The remains of Conrad’s sister, Matilda, was found 32 miles from where she was lost.
“Since the weekend, we have had marine units checking the Delaware River, including along the banks of the river on both the PA and New Jersey sides. Since the beginning and throughout the search, we notified agencies up and down the Delaware all the way to Marcus Hook of our efforts,” the statement continued. “We were able to get divers in the water and cleared the areas that were outstanding. We utilized K9 teams and checked the islands in the Delaware River and along the banks of the river as well.”
The family is survived by the father and eldest son, who were able to escape from the swell.
Sources:
https://people.com/search-ends-for-9-month-old-boy-swept-away-by-pennsylvania-flood-7566257
