Two women dead after flood waters sweep them away in Oxford

OXFORD, CT (WFSB) - Two people were swept away by flooding along Little River in Oxford on Sunday, according to police.

State officials identified them both as women and said they were found dead on Monday.

Troopers identified them as 65-year-old Ethelyn Joiner and 71-year-old Audrey Rostkowski.

Audrey Rostkowsk was identified as one of the women who was swept away by flood waters in... — Audrey Rostkowsk was identified as one of the women who was swept away by flood waters in Oxford on Aug. 18, 2024. Her body was found the next day, according to state police.(Family photo / contributed)

State police said they first responded around 5:10 p.m. on Sunday.

Both victims were in vehicles at separate locations. Emergency officials were trying to help both when water levels suddenly rose.

Oxford fire Chief Scott Pellitier said one person was in a car and the other clung to a sign before a rapid stream of water swept them away.

Mike Lindberg, an Ansonia resident, witnessed one of the incidents.

“One of the ones that drove in to the water and we saw her car and unfortunately she was holding onto the pillar. You see the firemen out there and they couldn’t do anything. They tried but they couldn’t do anything to get in there. They tried everything,” he said.

Firefighters warned drivers who had to hit the road to drive with extreme caution, especially in the dark. They said that if drivers can’t see the road in front of them, it’s a clear sign to turn around.

Seth Den Road was damaged from flooding on Aug. 18, 2024.(WFSB)

Channel 3′s meteorologists said about a foot of water is enough to lift a car off the ground.

That’s what tow truck driver Chas Bradley saw on Monday morning.

Bradley said he’s been working since 4 p.m. on Sunday and loaded up about a dozen cars.

“Just on this road alone it looks like an apocalypse everywhere,” Bradley said. “There are cars stranded everywhere. It has gone down some, but some of the secondary roads are still pretty bad.”

In Oxford, heavy downpours closed Route 188, Hulls Hill Road, and Edmonds Road.

Route 34 was closed at Laughlin Road.

Roads were destroyed and bridges wiped out by the catastrophic storms. Debris was scattered all over the place.

The town’s first selectman said all town buildings would be closed on Monday.

One woman who lives in an apartment next to the Brookside Inn quickly became trapped along with 18 others who were inside the popular restaurant.

However, firefighters from neighboring Beacon Falls used a ladder truck to get everyone to safety.

“I was a nervous wreck, I’m afraid of heights, the water was rushing, I don’t know how they did it,” said Jodi Williams of Oxford.

Nearly two feet of water flooded The Boars Nest as well, with 10 people trapped as a result.

“So we had about five or six tables in here. All the barstools. We had about 10 people in here,” said Tiffany Berthold, a bartender.

She was working when the chaos unfolded.

“We were watching the water rise. And we were watching everything just flow down. The water was going so fast. The garage door just popped open and we got so much water blown inside the whole place,” she continued.

Outside the garage door was once a patio that was completely washed away following the storms.

Lindberg and Sabrina Zalik were on their way home from Southbury when the rain started picking up. They decided to take cover at the establishment, one of their regular spots.

“We thought we were doing the right thing. And it ended up being almost a tragic thing to do,” said Lindberg.

The 10 people evacuated the bar at around 6:00 P.M. Sunday seeking higher ground at another business in the same plaza. That is where they waited out the storm until 2:30 A.M. Monday.

“We were safe and we made it out. We did what we had to do and stayed together,” said Zalik of Ansonia.

The owners of many of the businesses in the plaza including The Boars Nest were out Monday getting a head start on the clean up process.

Surrounding towns, including Southbury, Ansonia, and Seymour also reported several roads shut down.

The Oxford Fire Department said it had been working hard to find the two missing people.

They said they have also been answering calls left and right to keep everyone safe.

Oxford Schools’ Superintendent says that the school building will remain closed Tuesday and there will be no athletic practices. The hope is to reopen Wednesday.

Their first day of school is still scheduled for August 28th.

Keep tabs on the First Alert forecast with the technical discussion from Channel 3′s meteorologists here.

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