Weather Delays Search For 2 Missing Children In Bucks Co. Fatal Flood

Updated: 1:21 p.m. Wednesday

UPPER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —With rain forecast throughout Wednesday, search efforts to find two children missing from Saturday's flash flooding that claimed the lives of five people are being delayed and possibly called off Wednesday, authorities said.

The Upper Makefield Township Police Department said in a statement early Wednesday morning that they are unable to continue the search efforts at this time for 2-year-old Mattie and 9-month-old Conrad Sheils.

"Unfortunately, weather and river conditions are not favorable nor conducive for what we had planned for today’s search operations," the police department said in a Facebook post. "This setback has us all frustrated as we are desperate to bring Mattie and Conrad home."

Police said that the area and conditions will be continuously monitored throughout the day and "if we are able to deploy our assets we will do so."

The police department provided an update Wednesday afternoon, stating that Mt. Eyre Road would be completely reopened to traffic within an hour.

All other road closures remain in effect.

• Taylorsville Road remains closed between Aqueduct Road and Route 295 due to storm-related damage, police said.
• Route 532 is also closed between Wrightstown Road and Meadowview Drive due to storm damage.

"We do not anticipate any further road closures due to our search efforts," police said.

Authorities were moving Wednesday to a dive search and rescue operation after stating at a press conference late Tuesday that efforts will focus underwater.

Authorities had said they had searched the flood zone more than a dozen times and backtracked to cover 160 miles over 117 acres.

The Upper Makefield Police Department said Sunday that the area was hit with a torrential rainstorm, which caused flash flooding along several areas throughout the township.

The worst of the flooding occurred along Rt. 532 in the area of Stonebridge Crossing Road between Aqueduct Road and Wrightstown Road.

Police said the flash flooding caught numerous motorists by surprise and many were trapped with the flood victims getting swept away in Houghs Creek.

Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck released the names of the five flood victims Monday, including three from Newtown Township.

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