Thank you for reading! "It makes for a very unique, very strange situation. A young California family of three have been found dead in a remote area of Sierra National Forest. 05-15-51-21-18 is to provide for public safety due to unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail, within the Bass Lake Ranger District. The Hite Cove trail rolls through the narrow canyon of the south fork of the Merced River. According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found dead. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. The trail begins off of Hwy 140 near Savages Trading Post in El Portal, and ends at Hite Cove. The trail was closed until September 26, or sooner "if conditions change" around the area. In the future, when we sit beneath the trees listening to the wind soaring through the branches, we will hear them and we will remember. The Devils Gulch area was hit by the Ferguson wildfire, in 2018, that burnt 151 square miles of land, killing two firefighters, causing $171 million of damage. We've looked at lighting strikes in the area. Police must now wait on toxicology reports from the autopsies, which could take as much as six weeks. Ellen was 20-30 feet away further up the Trail. "We have not found any old mine shafts near the area," the Sheriff said. At 8:40 a.m., additional teams began down the Savage Lundy Trail. The already-outlandish theories of toxic algae or a gas leak from the mines below have even begun to lose weight. For those with nothing nice to say, go screw yourselves, said one family friend in response to the sheriffs office post. Briese also said investigators were considering toxic algae blooms as a possible cause, and that the U.S. Forest Service had recently posted warnings about toxic algae at the start of the trail near Hites Cove, where the bodies were found, according to the Fresno Bee. It starts near the town of Hites Cove (also called Hites Cove or Hite Cove). Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. 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. There was no indication whether the family had been swimming, as they would have dried off by the time they were found. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:55 a.m., a search and rescue mission is initiated. Briese suggested that, as relative newcomers to the area, they may not have been aware of the steepness of the terrain and how quickly temperatures could rise. Temperatures reached as high as 109 by midafternoon. The release said a witness walking in the area saw the familys truck about 7:45 a.m. Aug. 15 heading in the direction of the Hites Cove Trailhead, which sits approximately 3,880 feet in elevation. A family reported missing in Mariposa County late Monday was found dead, according to the Sheriff's Office. Their deaths were caused by hyperthermia and "probable" dehydration, Sheriff Jeremy Briese announced in October, based on autopsy and toxicology test results and a sheriffs office investigation. 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 final image stored on the phone came at 12:25 p.m. a screenshot of their location from a smartphone trail application. The Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told The Fresno Bee that he didn't believe the deaths were connected to a nearby mine. Designated recreation sites, roads, and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be off-limits to the public. About a month before the family was found dead, the U.S. Forest Service warned that "a high concentration of algae bloom" had been found in the Merced River near Hites Cove, where Gerrish and. ", The Sheriff added that while many toxicology reports have been completed, "we are still pending a few key results. A very rare event in the locality, especially given they were carrying one 85-ounce (2.5 liter) water bottle and a bottle with infant formula, which were found near the site where the bodies were located. The release said he used several different trail-mapping apps and frequently took hikes, the news release stated. The best way to get to Hites Cove is by hiking the Hites Cove Trail starting at Savages Trading post near El Portal on HWY 140. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Per the order, anyone using or being anywhere near the listed trailheads could be subject to fines up to $5,000 or $10,000 if they are a group. Wander through the South Fork Merced River valley, along the rushing waters, and through the meadowlands abundant with wildflowers. Some questions have been answered, and we will use the information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, the family members statement said. That is why we're treating it as a hazmat situation. 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. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . . 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. This data analysis was not released to the media. its devastating to everyone. Now hes under review, Blizzard conditions close major highways and roads in Lake Tahoe area, trigger avalanche, Last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, bringing snow, hail, rain. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . 11:56 a.m. Aug. 15: [Name redacted] can you help us. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. 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. The family, from Mariposa, were reported missing by a family friend on Monday night. Hyperthermia, toxic algal blooms, bacterial contamination, and escaping gas from abandoned gold mines were among the possibilities under investigation by the Sherrifs office. It is a moderate hike and ends at Hite Cove. Yee died Jan. 4, 2023. While the average since records began is 41 fatalities per year, the trend has been sharply decreasing from the 1940s and 1950s, when several hundred died annually. "This is a very unusual, unique situation," Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office,said last week. 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. Investigators were also considering whether toxic algae blooms may have contributed to their deaths. How use of diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss has led to a shortage: 'Let the diabetics have their drugs', Wildcats, Bears basketball players highlight All Mother Lode League team, Warriors want Jordan Poole to ease back on the throttle amid rough stretch. In October, Sheriff Jeremy Briese revealed that an investigation found the family and their dog had died of heat-related illness and probable dehydration. "We do not have any evidence indicating that Jonathan, Ellen or Miju ingested any of that water," he said. 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. 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. Sheriff Jeremy Briese said," For Mariposa County, this is rare. . The trail the family was hiking, the Savage Lundy Trail, snakes along the Merced River. John was supposed to work Monday and never showed up and that raised more concerns. The best way to get to Hites Cove is by hiking the Hites Cove Trail starting at Savages Trading post near El Portal on HWY 140. The trail is open year-round and is . They'd gone about 4.1 miles, losing roughly 2,000 feet of elevation, by the time they. One early theory centered on high levels of toxic algae detected in the Merced River. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? The case remains ongoing, pending these investigations. Know more in just minutes with our free newsletters. Their bodies were found on a hiking trail near Hite's Cove on August 17. Browse All 16,700 Images. John was in a seated position near the Trail, with Miju beside him along with the dog. Abandoned mines can accumulate many different lethal gases, including methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and toxic levels of carbon dioxide. Looking for the best hiking trails in Frankfurt am Main? In a press conference on Thursday, October 21, 2021, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the Gerrish family died of hyperthermia and probable dehydration, while their 8-year-old dog Oski also suffered a heat-related death. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 51 min to complete. Gerrish was 45 and Chung was 30. It was extremely hot that day with local temperatures reaching around 107 to 109 degrees, investigators say. There was also no evidence indicating that Gerrish, Chung or their daughter had ingested any of the river water. 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. 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. Homicide had already been crossed off the list. Federal park officials have ordered the closure of a trail in California's Mariposa County where three family members and their dog were found dead from unknown causes earlier this month. Common forms of hyperthermia include heat fatigue, sudden dizziness after prolonged heat exposure, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Fatal lightning strikes are rare, but do occur; 17 Americans were killed by lightning last year alone. The bodies of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, and their one-year-old daughter Muji, as well as their pet golden retriever, were discovered on Tuesday morning near a hiking trail miles into the park. Authorities found eight photos of the river and of the couple taken from 9:35 to 9:39 a.m. At 10 a.m. and 10:16 a.m., they took two selfie-style family photos. "So right now, we're treating the coroner investigation as a homicide until we can establish the cause.". "They will remain with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. Following toxicology testing, on September 30, 2021, the Mariposa County Sherriffs office confirmed that further investigations had meant that the following had been ruled out as a cause of death: Gun or any other type of weapon, Lightning Strike, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, Cyanide Exposure, Illegal Drugs / Alcohol, and Suicide. Serious burns seldom occur.". 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. 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. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! She was originally from Orange, California, and was of Korean descent. No water [over] heating with baby.. 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. We have no timeline for those pending results.". Now, after multiple months in FBI possession, the contents of Gerrishs phone were revealed, showing failed phone calls and text messages, as well as photos, that paint a more vivid portrait of the familys last moments. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Investigators are hoping that autopsies and toxicology tests will ultimately reveal more about what happened in this tragic story. This trail is therefore very popular from February to April. Since Sunday,several recreational sitesand trailheads around the Savage Lundy Trail in the Sierra National Forest were closed for a month "to provide for public safety," according to the park service order. You have permission to edit this article. The couple were described by friends as experienced hikers. Many potential causes of death were ruled out during the course of the investigation, including suicide, weapons, illegal drugs, and lightning strikes, according to report by the San Francisco Chronicle. They were out in the middle of a national forest on a day hike." The California Department of Justice is now assisting the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office with the investigation. After a friend reported the family missing, searchers discovered the bodies of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter Miju and their dog, Oski on Tuesday (Aug. 17) in Mariposa County, along the Hite Cove Trail near Devil Gulch. A map showing the route that the Gerrish-Chung family hiked on the Hite Cove Trail before they were all found dead near each other on Aug. 17. We're looking at the entire area as a whole.". 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 name honors John Hite, who discovered gold at the site. They continued walking along the 20E01.4 trail that parallels the South Fork of the Merced River for about 1.9 miles toward the intersection with the Savage Lundy Trail, where the elevation is about 1,800 feet and approximate temperature at the time was 99 to 103 degrees, the release said. The release said six separate laboratories helped with testing water samples from several locations of the South Fork of the Merced River and were positive for Anatoxin A, which can be deadly to animals but has never caused any recorded deaths among humans. And trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be off-limits to the said. 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