In a heartbreaking turn of events, the body of a missing 2-year-old girl, Matilda Sheils, was recovered from the Delaware River on Friday after a devastating flash flood struck the Philadelphia area.
The young girl, identified as Matilda Sheils, had been missing since last weekend when a sudden "wall of water" engulfed her family's vehicle and swept away her and her 9-month-old brother, Conrad.
The tragic incident also claimed the life of their mother, Katie Seley, and left their father, Jim Sheils, and grandmother in grief and shock.
A Desperate Search in the Delaware River
According to the Associated Press, the community of Philadelphia and its surrounding areas have been reeling from the aftermath of the flash flood that occurred in Washington Crossing, along the banks of the Delaware River.
The torrential downpour brought as much as 7 inches of rain in less than an hour, causing 11 vehicles to be stranded in floodwaters.
Among the affected individuals was the Sheils family, visiting from Charleston, South Carolina, to spend time with relatives and friends. As the floodwaters rapidly rose, the family found themselves in a perilous situation, struggling to escape the rushing waters.
Jim Sheils managed to grab their 4-year-old son and reach safety, but Matilda and Conrad's mother and grandmother bravely held onto the two younger children.
Tragically, the force of the water was too overwhelming, and all four were swept away. Only the grandmother survived the harrowing ordeal.
The Heart-Wrenching Discovery
For days, search and rescue teams, along with community volunteers, scoured the Delaware River and its surroundings, hoping to find any trace of the missing children.
NBC News reported that their efforts garnered an outpouring of support, particularly on social media, as people prayed for a miracle.
The turning point came on Friday evening when 911 callers reported spotting a body in the river near a Philadelphia wastewater treatment plant, approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) from where Matilda had been carried away.
Authorities swiftly responded, and Philadelphia police's marine unit recovered the child's lifeless body. Based on the physical description and clothing, authorities strongly believed it to be 2-year-old Matilda Sheils.
Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer addressed the press in a solemn nighttime news conference, confirming the discovery of Matilda's body. He expressed the community's collective grief and extended thoughts and prayers to the Sheils family during this unimaginably difficult time.
The Philadelphia coroner was scheduled to conduct an autopsy on the young girl's remains the following day.
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Continuing the Search for Conrad
Despite the devastating news of Matilda's passing, the search for her 9-month-old brother, Conrad, continued. Philadelphia police's aviation and marine units scoured the river on Friday in a relentless effort to find the missing child.
Authorities and volunteers alike were determined to spare no effort in locating Conrad and providing some measure of closure to the grieving family. The entire community remains heartbroken over the tragedy and is rallying together to support the Sheils family during their time of mourning.
As the search for Conrad enters another day, hopes for his safe return persist, and people across the region are keeping him in their thoughts and prayers.
According to ABC7, Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck, the additional casualties resulting from the flooding in Bucks County were Enzo De Piero, aged 78, and Linda De Piero, aged 74, both residents of Newtown; Yuko Love, aged 64, also from Newtown; and Susan Barnhart, aged 53, from Titusville, New Jersey.
