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Upper St. Clair woman leaves chilling message just moments before fatally swept away by rushing flood waters

Upper St. Clair woman leaves chilling message just moments before fatally swept away by rushing flood waters
WEBVTT AS SIMPLY CHILLING. REPORTER: SHE WAS SWEPT AWAY BY A RAGING RUSH OF WATER, BUT SHE MANAGED TO MAKE A DESPERATE CALL TO HOME, WENDY ABBOTT'S FAMILY PLAYED THE VOICE MAIL MESSAGE OF HER FINAL MOMENT. THURSDAY MORNING POLICE FIND HER BODY, THE UPPER ST. CLAIRE RESIDENT WAS SWEPT AWAY FROM A CAR AND CARRIED FOR NEARLY TWO MILES BY A TERRIBLY VIOLENT FORCE OF WATER IN A CREEK. JUST BEFORE FLOODWATERS TOOK HER AWAY SHE CALLED HOME TO HER 95-YEAR-OLD MOTHER AND LEFT A CHILLING MESSAGE IN A STATE OF PANIC. >> MOM, PLEASE PICK UP. PLEASE PICK UP, MOM. I'M STUCK IN THE FLOODS. IT'S FLOODING. I'M STUCK, PLEASE PICK UP, MOM. PLEASE PICK UP. >> IT'S SUCH A HORRIBLE WAY TO GO. WHEN I THINK OF IT I GET SICK. >> IT'S A TERRIBLE SITUATION. I CANNOT EVEN EXPLAIN IT, BUT IT'S HORRIBLE. >> I IMMEDIATELY CALLED HER PHONE, IT WENT STRAIGHT TO VOICE MAIL WHICH MEANS IT WASN'T ON. I TEXTED HER, NO RESPONSE. I TRIED HER AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER, SAME THING. REPORTER: WENDY IS DESCRIBED BY HER FAMILIES A THE CAREGIVER AND AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN HER CHURCH. SHE LIVED WITH HER PARENTS WHO WERE 95 AND 91, MAKING SURE ALL THEIR DAILY NEEDS WERE MET. >> WENDY JUST HAD HEART, SENSITIVITY, THINKING ABOUT OTHERS. SHE HAD THE ONLY CAR THAT COULD TAKE US PLACES AND SO SHE MAPPED OUT A LOT OF THINGS, AND WE COULD GO TO THINGS LIKE BINGOS. WE DID THE SHOPPING, AND WE COULD VISIT PEOPLE. IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE WITHOUT WENDY. WENDY IS A STRONG, STRONG CHRISTIAN BELIEVER. I JUST KNOW THAT SHE IS IN HEAVEN, AND THAT COMFORTS ME. HOWEVER, THIS IS A HARD LOSS TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND. >> SHE JUST WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF KID. I MISS HER. REPORTER: SHE
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Upper St. Clair woman leaves chilling message just moments before fatally swept away by rushing flood waters
An Upper St. Clair woman was found dead in a Bridgeville creek after apparently being swept away by floodwaters from powerful storms that dumped nearly 4 inches of rain on parts of western Pennsylvania on Wednesday night.Police in Upper St. Clair say the body of Wendy Abbott, 64, was found in McLaughlin Run Creek in Bridgeville on Thursday morning, 2 miles from where her car was left abandoned.Just moments before she was swept away, she made a desperate call to her mother, leaving a message on the answering machine, as her voice was filled with anxiety and fear, "Mom, please pick up! "Please pick up mom. I'm stuck in the flood!"It's flooding.I'm stuck."Please pick up mom.Please pick up!"Abbott was reported missing by her 95-year-old mother, Dolores Abbott, during the severe flooding, Upper St. Clair police said. Her car was found in the area of McLaughlin Run and Morrow roads in Upper St. Clair.Abbott was reported missing by her 95-year old mother, Dolores Abbott, during the severe flooding, Upper St. Clair police said. Her car was found in the area of McLaughlin Run and Morrow roads in Upper St. Clair.Refresh this page and stay with the WTAE mobile app for updates on this story.The creek was severely flooded with rushing water during Wednesday night's downpour. Dumpsters and a car, along with other debris, were swept into the run and pushed up against a bridge that carries Bower Hill Road over the water.Upper St. Clair township manager Matthew Serakowski says residents placed more than 100 calls for flooding and a state of emergency has been declared, meaning residents will receive assistance from Pennsylvania Emergency Management to receive federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Video posted on social media showed cars floating down flooded streets, while swift-water rescue teams in Bridgeville and other areas of Allegheny County took part in at least 66 rescues.(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)

An Upper St. Clair woman was found dead in a Bridgeville creek after apparently being swept away by floodwaters from powerful storms that dumped nearly 4 inches of rain on parts of western Pennsylvania on Wednesday night.

Police in Upper St. Clair say the body of Wendy Abbott, 64, was found in McLaughlin Run Creek in Bridgeville on Thursday morning, 2 miles from where her car was left abandoned.

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Just moments before she was swept away, she made a desperate call to her mother, leaving a message on the answering machine, as her voice was filled with anxiety and fear, "Mom, please pick up!

"Please pick up mom. I'm stuck in the flood!

"It's flooding.I'm stuck.

"Please pick up mom.

Please pick up!"

Abbott was reported missing by her 95-year-old mother, Dolores Abbott, during the severe flooding, Upper St. Clair police said. Her car was found in the area of McLaughlin Run and Morrow roads in Upper St. Clair.

Abbott was reported missing by her 95-year old mother, Dolores Abbott, during the severe flooding, Upper St. Clair police said. Her car was found in the area of McLaughlin Run and Morrow roads in Upper St. Clair.

Refresh this page and stay with the WTAE mobile app for updates on this story.

WTAE-TV
The scene where a woman’s body was found in McLaughlin Run.

The creek was severely flooded with rushing water during Wednesday night's downpour. Dumpsters and a car, along with other debris, were swept into the run and pushed up against a bridge that carries Bower Hill Road over the water.

Upper St. Clair township manager Matthew Serakowski says residents placed more than 100 calls for flooding and a state of emergency has been declared, meaning residents will receive assistance from Pennsylvania Emergency Management to receive federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Video posted on social media showed cars floating down flooded streets, while swift-water rescue teams in Bridgeville and other areas of Allegheny County took part in at least 66 rescues.

(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)