ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Two people were found dead in St. Louis County Tuesday following flash flooding along Gravois Creek.
In a Tuesday update, police identified the victims as 63-year-old Nancy Parisotto and 41-year-old Kenneth Ludwig.
Parisotto was found dead inside a car on Bayless Avenue Tuesday after floodwaters receded from the roadway.
Both deaths are being investigated as drownings.
Sgt. Tracy Panus with the St. Louis County Police Department said a nearby business owner reported an SUV submerged in the water, prompting police and rescue crews to return. Once on the scene, rescuers found the woman dead inside the SUV.
Panus said five other cars were also found but were all empty.
According to a preliminary investigation, the woman drove her car into the water at the height of the flash flooding on Tuesday morning.
Gravois Creek flooded the roadway during heavy rains Tuesday morning, and first responders rescued people who were stranded by the water. Hours later, after the floodwaters receded, about a dozen police and fire vehicles returned to the scene.
Officials say ten people were rescued from their cars along Gravois Creek Tuesday morning starting at 4 a.m., which continued throughout the day.
Lieutenant Jason Brice, with Lemay Fire Protection District, discusses their rescue efforts on Tuesday morning.
"You want to take your time to make sure you're going to have the right approach where it's safe, and you're actually going to be able to rescue the people out of the vehicles. It's a very high, technical job to be able to do that, and we constantly train in these situations. This morning was a great collaborative effort between Mehlville, Affton, and Lemay," Lt. Brice said.
Hours later, officials confirmed a second fatality along the same creek that caused the flooding on Bayless Avenue.
The Lemay Fire Protection District said they were working with St. Louis County Police on the second death by flood waters.
At 2:45 p.m., St. Louis County police officers responded to a call for an adult man in the creek in the 1600 block of Avenue H.
Ludwig was pronounced deceased at the scene.
An officer on the scene told 5 On Your Side that the body was found in the creek about a quarter mile away from the AALCO Manufacturing Company, where police and fire crews were searching around.
The officer said the body was not found near a car. As of 5 p.m., crews were trying to locate a car close by to see if it was connected to this death. Officers went down to the creek to investigate further.
With so many people stranded in the water along Gravois Creek, Brice had a message to share this afternoon.
"The message I'd like to convey is turn around, don't drown. All these situations we risked our lives for this morning are completely preventable. There's no reason to be driving in water, especially if there are barriers. We've had several people cross barriers where the police department have already put out, and they're still driving in the water and getting trapped," said Lt. Brice.
The Affton, Lemay and Mehlville fire protection districts conducted water rescues in the area starting at 4 a.m. and lasting until about 8 a.m. The rescue teams used heavy machinery, boats, and other equipment to get people out of the flooding.
Lt. Brice said Tuesday afternoon, crews continue to get calls for water in people's homes. Now that the water has receded, he discussed what's next for people.
"The main concern now is flooding in basements. As soon as all these crews finished these swift water rescue events, they started getting calls for water and dangering electrical and flooded basements. We got crews going from house to house, shutting off power and making sure there's no hazards. And then waiting for the homeowners to contact somebody else to help with their flood and water restoration," Lt. Brice said.
Cars with flooding on Bayless Avenue were towed out of the street Tuesday afternoon.
The Missouri Department of Transportation blocked the road at 12:30. It was unclear how long the closure would last.
Lt. Brice said Tuesday that water rescues and recoveries are a critical reminder to never drive through flood waters.
The investigation is ongoing for both of these deaths.
Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding both incidents.