YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Rescue crews responded to Campground Island in Dover Township, York County just after noon on Friday after floodwaters became too powerful to travel through.
Kelley Buckwalter and her family were at the site when they noticed the water level rising on Conewago Creek.
“It was pretty scary… it just kind of all started coming up pretty fast, maybe like a couple of feet per hour, and by the time we started realizing that it was closing in because it’s an island so it’s coming in on all sides, it was too late drive off,” Buckwalter said.
Crews from across York County assisted Swiftwater personnel from the Dover Township Fire Department, including Liberty Volunteer Fire Company, Northeast Adams Fire and EMS, Wrightsville Fire, and Wellsville Fire Company.
People were transported across the island by boat because of the strong currents.
“The boat had a hard time so that was really scary, and then also we couldn’t all fit at the same time, so I had to leavy my husband on the island, and it felt like I was in the Titanic,” Buckwalter recalled.
In total 14 adults, five kids, and several dogs were safely evacuated.
Greg Thomas is the father of one of the campground's owners and says he’s grateful for the rescuers’ swift response.
“How they handled that and how they described it was like, ‘stuff can be replaced, we just want to get you off the island’,” Thomas said.
The campground was purchased by the Thomas family in 2021 and has been a popular destination amongst campers.
Tents and flower gardens were among the debris and it was unknown what else might be damaged.
“Honestly, I think it caught everybody by surprise because a lot of them had weathered these storms before in the past,” Buckwalter said.
On Facebook, the family thanked rescue crews and other first responders for their efforts to ensure everyone was evacuated safely and said they’d provide updates about reopening online.