About 100 Girl Scouts rescued after floodwaters strand group in Pennsylvania

KDKA

By Jessica Guay

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    NORTH PARK, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Over 100 people were rescued after a stream in North Park flooded, stranding a group of Girl Scouts.

Rescue crews had to deploy a rope to help about 105 people to safety after flash flooding hit near their cabin, leaving them landlocked.

Girl Scouts recount rescue

Girl Scouts said they were at their pavilion getting ready for lunch when the skies opened up and things quickly took a turn.

“It started to rain really hard and we continued to cook, but then they blew the emergency horn,” said Girl Scout Adelyn Huey.

“It was crazy because it just started like pouring!” said Girl Scout Bella Winn.

“It just came pouring down like a curtain of water on yourself,” said Girl Scout Bryn Belcher.

“I was freaked out. I’m scared of thunderstorms so when I saw that I was freaking out,” said Girl Scout Ali Smith.

The nearby creek started overflowing because of all the rain.

“Our pavilion is right by the creek and so there was a log and there was water everywhere and we looked over and there was water in the parking lot flooding over the road and so we quickly grabbed all of our food and walked up to the cabin and then we just got evacuated from there,” said Girl Scout Samatha Oeler.

“We had to stay calm because the younger girls were freaking out too, so I sang some songs, I tried to cheer them up,” said Girl Scout Emilia Krieger.

The group became stranded due to the flash flooding, but firefighters, police, EMS and swiftwater crews showed up to help.

A spokesperson for Allegheny County said the Girl Scouts were put in helmets and vests and moved through the receding waters by holding onto a rope.

“It was like flooding and then all the firefighters came and carried us and walked with us to the other side,” said Girl Scout Sonja DeLuca.

“They gave us all life jackets and helmets and told us to hold on to the person in front of us and we had a rope and just kind of held on and just walked across,” Girl Scout Lila Hall said.

“We were walking next to a hole, so it was very scary, because if you like fall, you can go down to it,” Huey said.

Parents relieved everyone’s safe

Allegheny County police said everyone was brought to safety and no one was injured.

Once the kids made it through the floodwaters, the Girl Scouts were picked up by their parents and headed home to get dry. Their parents, meanwhile, are breathing a sigh of relief.

“They were in good hands, I was never worried because I know that the Girls Scouts is a good organization,” said parent Russell Reed.

“Very happy that everyone’s safe and that they have an adventure to tell,” said parent Katie Helfrich.

“They will remember this for years to come,” said parent Jana DeLuca.

“Thank you to all the first responders. We truly appreciate it because it’s crazy how things can turn. We never thought we’d have to use the emergency response text chain, but sure enough, here we are,” DeLuca added.

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