Across the United States, recent heavy rains have caused dangerous flooding in several areas, including a serious incident on Tuesday in Pennsylvania. There, a group of Girl Scouts and their volunteers found themselves trapped by rising waters during a camping trip.
Around 100 Girl Scouts — and more than 100 people total — needed rescue after flash flooding stranded them at a campground in North Park, roughly 14 miles north of Pittsburgh. Rescue teams used a rope system to safely guide the entire group out of danger, according to CBS News Pittsburgh.
“A large group of individuals near the Girl Scout Cabin in North Park became stranded due to an overflowing stream nearby,” explained Allegheny County Police spokesman Jim Madalinksy to PEOPLE. “There were approximately 105 people in the group, and they were all helped to safety with the assistance of local fire, police, EMS and Swiftwater crews.”
The scouts said the situation escalated quickly. While they were getting ready for lunch, a sudden downpour caused a nearby creek to overflow. Weather.com reported that over two inches of rain fell in the area.
“It started to rain really hard and we continued to cook, but then they blew the emergency horn,” recalled Girl Scout Adelyn Huey.
“Our pavilion is right by the creek and so there was a log and there was water everywhere,” said Girl Scout Samantha Oeler. “We looked over and there was water in the parking lot flooding over the road, so we quickly grabbed all of our food and walked up to the cabin, and then we just got evacuated from there.”
The girls were provided with helmets and life vests and carefully guided through the floodwaters using a rope. After everyone reached safety, parents arrived to pick up the campers.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported in this incident or elsewhere in the region during the flooding.
Related Topics
- Oroville, Washington Offers Fireworks, Rodeo Thrills, and Lakeside Camping for Summer Getaways
- Wilson State Park Earns Spot Among Top 10 Camping Destinations in Central U.S.
- Missing Camper Found Alive After Three Days in Sedona Wilderness