On Friday, officials announced that 28 miles of public area along the Merced River downstream from where the family was found were closed off after high levels of toxic algae were discovered in the water. 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Our office received an overwhelming number of tips, suggestions and investigative requests that were all reviewed and taken into consideration, the Sheriffs Office concluded in the release. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. Gerrish and his wife, with their daughter in a backpack-style carrier, and the family dog all left on foot from the Hites Cove Trailhead and walked 2.2 miles down to the U.S. Forest Service Tail 20E01.4, where the elevation dipped to 1,930 feet and approximate temperature at the time they were walking was between 92 and 99 degrees, the release said. We're not focusing on one specific cause at this point. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. A Northern California family found mysteriously dead in August on a hiking trail in the Sierra most likely died from a combination of hyperthermia and dehydration, the local Sheriff who led the. High 46F. ". The bodies of Gerrish, Chung, Miju and Oski were found 7 hours later, just 1.6 miles from their car. The family had gone hiking on a trail near the Merced River in the Sierra National Forest and were found dead Aug. 17 after a family friend reported them missing the previous night. 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After the autopsies, the deaths of the Gerrish family remained unexplained. 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There's no clear indication of cause of death," she said, adding that the bodies have still not been recovered. According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found dead. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Hyperthermia is defined by the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an abnormally high body temperature caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body to deal with the heat coming from the environment.. The couple were described by friends as experienced hikers. The purpose of Forest Order No. While the average since records began is 41 fatalities per year, the trend has been sharply. No water or ver [over] heating with baby.. Investigators briefly considered the possibility that the family may have been exposed to toxic fumes from nearby abandoned mines. If people breathe in these gases, their muscles stop responding normally, thinking becomes clouded and a person can become unconscious and die. The cellphone data results were the last thing both the family and detectives were waiting on, Briese said. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. For those with nothing nice to say, go screw yourselves, said one family friend in response to the sheriffs office post. 05-15-51-21-18 ) from August 29. The family was three miles from a disused mine, where toxins including carbon monoxide can accumulate from decaying organic materials such as timber and the process of mineral oxidation. Authorities still don't know what killed a family of three and their dog along a California hiking trail, though they're investigating a new possibility: lightning strikes. "Can you help us. Toxicology and other tests eventually ruled that out as well. . Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Investigators combed the lower section of the trail for unreported mines, but experts said it likely would take an exposure inside a mine shaft to kill a family. A map provided by the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office shows a re-creation of the Gerrish-Chung familys final hours while hiking the Hite Cove and Savage Lundy trails in the Sierra Nevada mountains on Aug. 15, 2021. This was once a mining community after the discovery of gold there in 1861, but it burnt down in 1924. Sheriff Jeremy Briese held a news conference to discuss the investigation into the mysterious deaths of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter and their dog. The details found on the phone support the findings of a heat related incident, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post Thursday detailing the information obtained from Gerrishs phone. Investigators are seeking access to the couple's cellphones and social media accounts for further clues. In his October announcement, Briese said he hoped FBI analysts could glean more information from Gerrishs phone. SFGate notes death by lightning strike is extremely rare, occurring in about 10% of cases. (Click here for a map of the route, with temperature notations.). When they began hiking, he said, the temperature was in the mid-70s; when they had gone barely 2 miles, it was already above 90. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. A few clouds. At 3.20 am, the sheriffs office reserved a search helicopter for daybreak. Ellen Chung, 31, worked as a yoga instructor before becoming pregnant with their daughter. Out of water, exposed and overheating, they had to ascend the rugged and steep Savage Lundy Trail to return to their vehicle at the Hite Cove trailhead. Jonathan Gerrish and his wife, Ellen Chung, knew they were in trouble. Wander through the South Fork Merced River valley, along the rushing waters, and through the meadowlands abundant with wildflowers. "I've been here for 20 years, and I've never seen a death-related case like this," he told The Times. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. A family was recently found dead on a hiking trail along the Merced River in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest in California. John and Ellen married in 2019 and had moved to Mariposa County from San Francisco after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, to enjoy the outdoors, after starting working from home on a permanent basis. Abandoned mines can accumulate many different lethal gases, including methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and toxic levels of carbon dioxide. The name honors John Hite, who discovered gold at the site. The investigation is now being treated as a homicide. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley and has previously worked as a news reporter at USA Today and SFGATE and as a music writer at NPR. Northern California familys mysterious deaths, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, Northern California familys mysterious deaths on hiking trail: The official cause, Map: Familys route before they were found dead on California trail. Their vehicle was spotted around 7:45 a.m. headed toward the Hite Cove trailhead, elevation 3,800 feet. Yasemin is a staff writer at Live Science, covering health, neuroscience and biology. The bodies were found on Tuesday on a remote hiking trail. Their dedication has allowed us to close this case and answer lingering questions the family had, bringing them a little peace.. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? New York, The temperatures at this time were in the mid-70s. Friends were unable to reach Gerrish or Chung and reported the family missing at 11 p.m. They'd gone about 4.1 miles, losing roughly 2,000 feet of elevation, by the time they. It has been sent to the FBI to determine if it can provide any insight into the familys last hours. I want to thank you all for being patient with us.". The news sheds light on a case that has confounded investigators and the public and raised new questions about outdoor recreational activities in an era of rising temperatures and climate fueled extreme weather. "The fact that it was two adults, a kid and a dog," makes this a really unusual situation, he said. Investigators are looking into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame. Thank you for reading! The trail begins off of Hwy 140 near Savages Trading Post in El Portal, and ends at Hite Cove. Winds light and variable. Some of the theories include a significant carbon monoxide leak from one of the mines deep below, or possibly even toxic algae, which can be caused a gas leak; hence the abundance of caution and the HAZMAT approach. Just pray for peace for the families and keep your assumptions to yourselves.. When their bodies were found Aug. 17, the only water supply with them was an 85-ounce water bladder. Gerrish took out his cellphone and typed a message. Low 24F. Beaming with a spectacular display of wildflowers in early Spring, from February to April the Hite Cove Trail offers hikers a palette of colors, with over 60 varieties of wildflowers blanketing the hillsides along the South Fork of the Merced river. But algal mats, because they're clinging onto the rocks, wouldn't flow down the stream. Mariposa County sheriffs investigators had already ruled out several potential causes: a gun or any other weapon, a lightning strike, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, cyanide, illegal drugs, alcohol or suicide. In the mid-19th century, an area around Hites Cove held a hard-rock gold mine, where certain techniques are used to extract "hard" minerals holding metals like gold, according to The Associated Press. On July 21, Sierra National Forest authorities posted a public notice warning of a dangerous algal bloom in the Merced River at Hites Cove after water quality testing by the state fish and wildlife department showed high concentrations. The US Environmental Protection Agency states that algal blooms can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals. The trails will stay closed until September 26, though that is subject to change. On savage lundy trail heading back to Hites cove trail. The California Department of Public Health said it did not know of any human deaths from recreational or drinking water exposure to cyanobacterial toxin, although some animals have been killed by algae. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Science and the San Jose Mercury News. Hyperthermia, toxic algal blooms, bacterial contamination, and escaping gas from abandoned gold mines were among the possibilities under investigation by the Sherrifs office. . This is a popular trail for hiking and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. She was earning her Masters in Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies after having graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2012. Mariposa County Sheriff's spokeswoman, Kristie Mitchell, said "Coming across a scene where everyone involved, including the family dog that is deceased, that is not a typical thing that we have seen or other agencies have seen. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:53 a.m., the family's car is located down Hites Cove Road north of Jerseydale. Gerrish was found in a seated position on the trail, with his infant daughter and eight-year-old dog next to him; Chung was discovered a little bit further up the path, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The plea never went through, stymied by the lack of cellular reception in the area. A family of hikers were found dead in . First Names. There were no apparent causes of death or signs of foul play discovered at the scene, the release said. On Savage Lundy Trail heading back to Hites Cove Trail. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, With a south/southeastern exposure, it was in constant sun. The trail had posted warnings about toxic algae blooms. He said that he supported the investigations findings, but deferred any further questions or comments on the case to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office on Friday. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. ", "You have two healthy adults, you have a healthy child and what appears to be a healthy canine all within a general same area," he added. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was also requested to assist. Sheriff's Deputy Kristie Mitchell told the Fresno Bee that because of mines in the area, and because there was no obvious cause of death, the scene was being treated as a HAZMAT situation. Browse All 16,700 Images. The trail is open year-round and is . Kristie Mitchell said. A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, California on August 18, 2021. The first 3/4 of a mile for this trail crosses private property. Several Western states reported record heat this summer. The sheriff said toxicology and coroner reports support his investigative findings that the family of three died from heat-related stress. There are some mine shafts, but we can't confirm if that's the cause yet.. Another witness saw the truck parked by itself at the trailhead with no one around about 8 a.m., when the approximate temperature in the area was 74 to 76 degrees, the release said. This section of the trail makes a loop, with the halfway point the south fork of the Merced River. "So right now, we're treating the coroner investigation as a homicide until we can establish the cause.". John was in a seated position, with the baby beside him along with the dog, and Ellen was just a little farther up the hill. Contact Alex MacLean at amaclean@uniondemocrat.com or (209) 588-4541. On July 13, the Sierra National Forest posted a warning on their Facebook page about toxic algal mats in the Merced River near Hites Cove. This trail is therefore very popular from February to April. On Thursday, Sheriff Jeremy Briese announced the results of an FBI analysis of the fathers cellphone that painted a clearer picture of the familys final hours. None were successful because of lack of cell service in the area. Shortly before 2 a.m. the next day, a sheriffs deputy spotted the familys vehicle at the trailhead. . John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, and their one-year-old daughter Miju, were found dead on Monday, August 16, 2021, near Devils Gulch in the Sierra National Forest, along with their pet dog, Oski. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . Sheriff Jeremy Briese said, There are those different options that are out there, mineshafts and off-gassing potential and were learning more with our partners in the Forest Service and public health on the toxicity of the algae blooms that theyre posting about. But Briese said they could not find any disused shafts in the vicinity, We have not found any old mine shafts near the area. "They will remain with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. John and Ellen, together with their baby and dog, drove to the start of the trail in their Ford Raptor truck on the afternoon of Sunday, August 15. The hiking trail included steep and semi-difficult terrain. Hite's cove with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. In Portland, Ore. temperatures reached 108, 112 and 116 degrees over three consecutive days in June. The Mysterious Stories Blog - Read about strange, disturbing and mysterious stories from the outdoors, from around the world. Hyperthermia is abnormally high body temperature caused by the failure of heat-regulating mechanisms. Gerrish was a British expat-turned-San Francisco software designer who, with his wife, "fell in love with the Mariposa area" and bought several homes there, a residence for themselves and rental investments over the last few years. They called in a second search team that began winding down the switchbacks that complete the loop back up to the Forest Service gate. Common forms of hyperthermia include heat fatigue, sudden dizziness after prolonged heat exposure, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The release said the Sheriffs Office dedicated an entire team to the case and partnered with over 30 local, state and federal agencies to determine the cause of death, which was supported by the county pathologists report based on an autopsy, multiple toxicology results, and the agencys investigation. Gab Song, 73, of Torrance was found Thursday by a private citizen in the Lockwood Valley community in northeast Ventura County, officials said. Fbi to determine if it can provide any insight into the possibility toxic. The release said area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found 7 later. The failure of heat-regulating mechanisms is subject to change through, stymied by the lack of service. 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