A major evacuation took place in Calgary June 20 as floodwaters swept over low-lying areas, including in Mission where Lorraine Gerlitz lived. Gerlitz had told authorities she had a place to go, but something happened and the 83-year-old woman never got out of the flood zone.
"We don't know enough about what really happened that fateful evening," said her niece Linda Resch.
"What contributing factors took place for Lorraine to stay and subsequently be trapped in her condo remains a mystery. Lorraine's friends are still in shock and deeply saddened by what took place."
She was found in her ground-level apartment on June 23 after friends had returned to check on her at The Vineyards building on 25 Avenue S.W.
"It was a sad day when I found out what happened to her," said her neighbour and close friend Yvonne Scott.
She had thought Lorraine was leaving with a woman who lived in an apartment above. The next day, Scott tried to contact their upstairs neighbour, but like so many others in Calgary displaced from the rising waters, she was hard to reach.
"You know how you get that sort of queasy feeling, and then my son came to me and said, 'You better sit down mom, I have some news and it's not too good,'" she said.
Scott remembers saying goodbye to Lorraine in the hallway.
"And we both hugged. I don't know if we maybe realized we might not see each other again. I thought we would," she said.