Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Here are the world's 25 best beaches and top 10 in the U.S. Elizabeth Holmes has second child, seeks to delay prison. The family was found, all deceased, by search-and-rescue teams about 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17. In this case, if this family were to be exposed to such toxins, it would likely be from toxic algal mats and not blooms, he said. It was 75 degrees when they began the hike around 8 a.m., but temperatures climbed swiftly as they descended. 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. Lightning strikes were eliminated, and investigators considered suicide and drug or alcohol use before moving on. Physical force and violence were quickly ruled out, as was toxic gas from an abandoned mine shaft. People who swim, wade or participate in other aquatic activities in water laced with cyanobacterial toxins can develop health effects such as skin rashes, diarrhea and vomiting (if they ingest the toxins), or develop problems with the liver, kidneys or nervous system. The unidentified man, described as being in his mid 60s, was reported missing near the Hites Cove and Savage Lundy trails in late June while looking into the family's deaths, according to a. / CBS News. I want to thank you all for being patient with us.". The Associated Press contributed to this report. The release said he used several different trail-mapping apps and frequently took hikes, the news release stated. Plenty of sunshine. According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found dead. The deaths led the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles of the river, between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby, when water samples downstream from where the family died showed high levels of the toxic algae. A cell phone was found in Johns pocket, but there is little to no cell coverage on that section of the trail where the bodies were found. Gerrish was 45 and Chung was 30. The family, from Mariposa, were reported missing by a family friend on Monday night. Family members of Gerrish and Chung released a statement included in the news release thanking the Sheriffs Office for the time and resources dedicated to the investigation into the deaths. Fatal lightning strikes are rare, but do occur; 17 Americans were killed by lightning last year alone. The Hite Cove trail rolls through the narrow canyon of the south fork of the Merced River. 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. Related Articles "The fact that it was two adults, a kid and a dog," makes this a really unusual situation, he said. You have permission to edit this article. Toxic algae and fumes from mines known to be in the area were also discussed heavily as possible causes. "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," Mitchell said. Investigators are looking into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame. 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. 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. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:55 a.m., a search and rescue mission is initiated. None of the bodies had physical wounds like gunshots or signs of trauma and no suicide note was found. The cellphone data results were the last thing both the family and detectives were waiting on, Briese said. As Ive mentioned, the Gerrish Chung family have been our top priority as we dealt with this horrible event.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The two reportedly wanted to raise Miju in a "quiet, slow-paced environment" surrounded by nature. The Hite Cove Trail is a wonderful adventure in the Sierra National Forest that boasts awe-inspiring views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The extracted information confirms our initial findings. They said the cause of death of the dog Oski, an 8-year-old akita/Australian shepherd mix remains undetermined, but that it was likely also heat-related. The trails will stay closed until September 26, though that is subject to change. The family had hiked along the Hites Cove Trail in the Sierra National Forest near the Merced River. Data extracted from the phone allowed investigators to re-create the familys path and timeline based on GPS locations, the Sheriffs Office said. . its devastating to everyone. "This is never the outcome we want or the news we want to deliver, my heart breaks for their family," Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a news release. Friends were unable to reach Gerrish or Chung and reported the family missing at 11 p.m. Up to 20 copies of the Report of Death, issued at the time of death, will be provided by the embassy or consulate free of charge. While temperatures were high in the area the family were hiking (37C / 98.6F) at their highs, dehydration seemed unlikely, with the dog dying and the Camelback still containing water. None of the four victims bore any signs of obvious trauma; however according to the National Weather Service: "Lightning is primarily an injury to the nervous system, often with brain injury and nerve injury. Gregory Yee was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. This hike is considered one of the best hikes in the area for wildflowers in the early spring with over 60 varieties of wildflowers growing on the hillsides. "We're processing the scene right now. SFGate notes death by lightning strike is extremely rare, occurring in about 10% of cases. Samples of bacteria bloom along the south fork of the Merced River and Snyder Creek, which run adjacent to the trail were also taken to test for any other possible contamination in the water in the area. Heres how it works. After calling other family friends throughout the day who also didnt know where they were, she reported them missing to the Sheriffs Office about 11 p.m. that night and deputies began their investigation. The trail begins off of Hwy 140 near Savages Trading Post in El Portal, and ends at Hite Cove. A news release put out by the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office following a press conference Thursday afternoon provided more details on the two-month investigation into the mysterious deaths of a young family and their dog found Aug. 17 on a trail in the Sierra National Forest, which led to the agencys conclusion that they died from hyperthermia due to extreme heat and probable dehydration.. There were no signs of damage to their bodies. 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.. I am very proud of my team and our partner agencies for all the work they put in. Joshua Bote is the tech editor at SFGATE. Authorities also found a series of five attempted phone calls, not including to 911, made between 12:09 and 12:36 p.m. As with the attempted text message, none of the calls went through. Residual water from the hydration bladder was also tested, and it was found to be clean, the sheriff said. This collection includes a set of records for . She has a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. New York, Last week they ruled out that possible gases from a nearby mine could've been the culprit. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Such blooms are caused by algae or cyanobacteria that grow in the water and can release toxins that can sometimes poison animals, such as cattle or dogs, according to The California Department of Public Health. The last stretch, on the Savage-Lundy Trail, is on a steep incline, rising from about 1,800 feet elevation to 3,900 feet in 3 miles. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Science and the San Jose Mercury News. you have two healthy adults, you have a healthy child and what appeared to be a healthy canine all within a general same area, deceased. ", The Sheriff added that while many toxicology reports have been completed, "we are still pending a few key results. Fernanda Bray spends most Mondays over the summer hiking down to the south fork of the Merced River, on the northern end of Hites Cove Trail, along Highway 140, swimming, fishing and playing. This trail is therefore very popular from February to April. We are confident in our findings, and our investigation supports the findings from the Pathologist / Coroners Office.. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Toxic algae still has not been ruled out; detectives are still waiting on toxicology reports back from the autopsies; a camelback of water the couple were carrying is also being tested, as are samples of water taken from the nearby creek. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Those details support the findings of a heat related incident.. Its tragic, its emotionalwere going to do everything we can to ensure closure and the safety of our community., Kristie Mitchell said, "Investigators have considered whether toxic gasses, toxic algae and carbon monoxide from abandoned mines near in area may have contributed to the deaths. It was 75 degrees when they began the hike around 8 a.m., but temperatures climbed swiftly as they descended. The final image stored on the phone came at 12:25 p.m. a screenshot of their location from a smartphone trail application. The case remains ongoing, pending these investigations. This is the first hyperthermia cause of death that I've witnessed here in 20 years. It was high summer, and temperatures were climbing swiftly on a remote trail in the Sierra Nevada near the small community of Mariposa. He was a native Southern Californian and graduated from UC Irvine in 2012 with a degree in journalism and Spanish literature. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . Gab Song, 73, of Torrance was found Thursday by a private citizen in the Lockwood Valley community in northeast Ventura County, officials said. 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. A witness saw the family on the Hites Cove trail on Aug. 15, where they embarked on a 2.2-mile walk to a U.S. Forest Service trail parallel to the south fork of the Merced River with an. `` quiet, slow-paced environment '' surrounded by nature narrow canyon of the bodies had physical wounds like gunshots signs... As they descended of cases small community of Mariposa do occur ; 17 Americans were killed lightning! Phone came at 12:25 p.m. a screenshot of their location from a smartphone application! 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