A witness saw the family on theHites 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 elevation of 1,930 feet. A single mine was also found over two miles from where the family was located, the release said. Mariposa County Sheriff's Office announced the results of several toxicology reports on Thursday none of which revealed what killed John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their one-year-old daughter Muji, and family dog Oski. 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.. For those with nothing nice to say, go screw yourselves, said one family friend in response to the sheriffs office post. A deputy later found the family's vehicle at the Hites Cove trail head. Plenty of sunshine. Warmer storms could cause problems, Missing hiker from L.A. County found in good condition in Ventura County, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, The Colorado River is overused and shrinking. (Click here for a map of the route, with temperature notations.). Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese speaks in August about the investigation into the deaths of a husband and wife, their 1-year-old daughter and their dog on a trail in the Hites Cove area of . Designated recreation sites, roads, and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be off-limits to the public. It was 75 degrees when they began the hike around 8 a.m., but temperatures climbed swiftly as they descended. 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. Investigators believe they have finally determined what killed John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their one-year-old daughter Muji, and their 8-year-old Akita mix, Oski. Ellen Chung, 31, worked as a yoga instructor before becoming pregnant with their daughter. 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. 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. ", "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. The trails will stay closed until September 26, though that is subject to change. ", Become a member of StrangeOutdoors for exclusive content, See the latest Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, Read other strange stories from the Sierra National Forest and Yosemite, The Sandra Johnsen Hughes disappearance in Sierra National Forest, The bizarre disappearance of Stacey Arras from Yosemite National Park, The strange disappearance and death of Jeannie Hesselschwerdt in Yosemite National Park, The puzzling disappearance of Max Schweitzer in Yosemite National Park, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gerrish-2748376/?originalSubdomain=uk, https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-mystery-autopsy-fails-to-reveal-cause-of-death-for-family-and-dog-found-dead-on-hiking-trial, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/poison-algae-on-gold-trail-may-have-killed-family-59vmwjf3q, https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/hites-cove-trail?u=m, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hites_Cove,_California, https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Not-one-clue-The-mystery-is-only-deepening-16401921.php, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9914627/Deaths-husband-wife-baby-treated-homicide.html, http://merced-river.org/HitesCoveTrail.html, https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Unknown-hazards-Yosemite-trail-Calif-family-dead-16429088.php, https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/posts/3133758160228109, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article253864053.html?fbclid=IwAR0_Sv0T7TGRIEuytyuph8M5f50VWWgo4skgRuB3YaHIUKjO6JPK31FMNYU, https://kmph.com/news/local/mariposa-county-sheriff-multiple-causes-of-death-ruled-out-in-death-of-california-family, https://people.com/human-interest/cause-of-death-revealed-for-california-family-who-died-on-hiking-trail/, Tagged: The bizarre deaths of the Gerrish family in Devils Gulch, john gerrish death, ellen chung death, gerrish family deaths in sierra national forest, John Gerrish autopsy, Savage lundy trail deaths, Sign Up now for a one-off fee for exclusive access to many articles, The bizarre deaths of the Gerrish family in Devils Gulch, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, gerrish family deaths in sierra national forest, The mysterious disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, The strange disappearance of the YouTube Survivalist Finn Creaney in the Scottish Highlands, The shocking disappearance of Theresa Ann Bier, The strange disappearance of Daniel Robinson from Buckeye in Arizona, The strange death of Lucas Renoud at the Hrisson waterfalls in the Jura Mountains, The disturbing disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaiis Stairway To Heaven walkway, The puzzling disappearance of ex-paratrooper Gilbert Gilman from Olympic National Park, The Dead man who saved Brandon Day and Gina Allen on Mount San Jacinto, The strange disappearance and death of Geoff Hague in the Great Smoky Mountains, The weird disappearance of Garrett Bardsley from Cuberant Lake in Utah, The bizarre death of Cullen Finnerty in the Michigan wilderness, The puzzling disappearance of Barbara Bolick from the Bitterroot Mountains, The strange disappearance of Mike Hearon from the Great Smoky Mountains, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) report June 2021, The bizarre disappearance and death of Adrienne Quintal in Michigan, The strange disappearance of Fern Baird from the Prairie Peak Trail in Idaho, The strange deaths of David Horesay and Frederick Hardisty in the Northwest Territories, The disappearance of Steven Kubacki in the Lake Michigan Triangle, The lucky survival story of Chris Staff in the White Mountains - hallucinations, bugs and hunger, Mysterious UFO phenomena begins to be acknowledged officially by the US Military, The mysterious disappearance of Michael Bryson from the Hobo Campground in Oregon. 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. At 3.20 am, the sheriffs office reserved a search helicopter for daybreak. Fatal lightning strikes are rare, but do occur; 17 Americans were killed by lightning last year alone. There was no suicide note. CBS San Francisco reports investigators said this week they were still unsure of what killed the family. 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. Really? 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. Water not far from the trail later tested positive for toxic algae including anatoxin-a, also known as Very Fast Death Factor (VFDF). 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Almost four months later, those answers are in. We use cookies. 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. Dr. Eric Sergienko, who serves as health officer for both Mariposa and Tuolumne counties, was involved with the testing of water samples for possible toxic algae. One researcher told Live Science, that while possible, that scenario would be unusual. Residual water from the hydration bladder was also tested, and it was found to be clean, the sheriff said. 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. Fatal lightning strikes are rare, but do occur; 17 Americans were killed by lightning last year alone. Map: Familys route before they were found dead on California trail A sheriffs deputy searching the area found the familys vehicle at the trailhead about 1:50 a.m. Aug. 17 and requested a search-and-rescue mission to be activated, the release said. The release said he used several different trail-mapping apps and frequently took hikes, the news release stated. Police must now wait on toxicology reports from the autopsies, which could take as much as six weeks. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. On Aug. 15, the family got off to an early start. Common forms of hyperthermia include heat fatigue, sudden dizziness after prolonged heat exposure, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. 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. Speculation swirled around the case, both during the investigation and after their cause of death was revealed. Their dedication has allowed us to close this case and answer lingering questions the family had, bringing them a little peace.. 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. These toxins can get into the body through ingestion, through the skin or even through inhalation. Temperatures reached as high as 109 by midafternoon. A Mariposa County sheriffs deputy walks in a remote area near where a family and their dog were found dead Aug. 17. Investigators are hoping that autopsies and toxicology tests will ultimately reveal more about what happened in this tragic story. The family were not killed bay a gas leak from a mine nor were they killed by any kind of weapon, police have determined. California State Water Resources Control Board and Mariposa County said they were continuing to test waterways in the area for any toxic algae and cyanobacterial toxins. They had explored and ruled out a range of possibilities, including lightning strikes, potentially toxic gases from abandoned mines, suicide, weapons and foul play. "Our Sheriff's Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to support them during this heartbreaking time.". Last week they ruled out that possible gases from a nearby mine could've been the culprit. 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. 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. Whether you're getting ready to hike, bike, trail run, or explore other outdoor activities, AllTrails has 59 scenic trails in the Frankfurt am Main area. Lightning strikes in Mariposa County's Hite Cove under consideration. There were no apparent causes of death or signs of foul play discovered at the scene, the release said. "As we navigate through this investigation with the family, we will later share our findings with the public. ", Dogs tend to be more susceptible to the algal toxins, in part because they get into the water and then get out and lick their fur, potentially ingesting a high dose of toxins, he said. There were no signs of foul play or trauma. 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. 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