Woman falls into Harvey waters, dies from flesh-eating bacteria

A 77-year-old woman died from a flesh-eating bacterial infection she contracted after falling into floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey in her Texas home.

Nancy Reed passed away on Sept. 15, the second person to succumb to contaminated storm water from Harvey. Clevelon Brown of Galveston County picked up a bacterial infection from standing in flood water and died of sepsis.

J.R. Atkins, a former firefighter who worked to help Harvey victims, was contaminated by an insect bite but survived, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Reed died after falling at her son's Kingwood home. When she fell, she broke and cut her arm, a family friend told the Chronicle.

She was taken to a hospital, where she passed away. The flesh-eating disease is also called necrotizing faciitis.

"It's tragic," Dr. David Persse, director of Houston's emergency medical services, told the Chronicle. "This is one of the things we'd been worrying about once the flooding began, that something like this might occur. My heart goes out to the family."

Reed was very active in the Kingwood community, friends told KHOU, especially with the non-profit Village Learning and Achievement Center.

"God has gained an amazing angel," administrative specialist Tina Tilea told KHOU. "That’s what I would say, and we’re going to miss her."

Reed was born in Pittsburgh in 1940, according to her obituary. A funeral service was held last week.

(With News Wire Services)