Their dedication has allowed us to close this case and answer lingering questions the family had, bringing them a little peace, Briese said in a post. 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. According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found dead. They had moved last year from the Bay Area to Mariposa County. There are some mine shafts, but we can't confirm if that's the cause yet.. Everything from carbon monoxide, algae, lighting, hyperthermia, bacterial water contamination, and poison gas from mines were being explored as of late August 2021. 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. The next day, Aug. 16, the familys babysitter arrived, but no one was home, Briese said. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Search-and-rescue teams arrived about 4 a.m. Aug. 17 and began tracking down the Hites Cove Trail after locating human and animal tracks. 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. 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. We just don't know.". Gregory Yee was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. 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. Friends were unable to reach Gerrish or Chung and reported the family missing at 11 p.m. 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. 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. Sheriff Jeremy Briese said the department is continuing working closely with a toxicologist, environmental specialist, the FBI and other specialists. The temperatures at this time were in the mid-70s. Residual water from the hydration bladder was also tested, and it was found to be clean, the sheriff said. (Click here for a map of the route, with temperature notations.). Trail at Hite Cove - Discover Yosemite National Park Trail at Hite Cove Distance: 2-4 miles (3.2-6.4) roundtrip for wildflower viewing, 9 miles (14.5km) to Hite Cove Elevation: 1,500 ft (457m) Difficulty: Easy Time: 2-5 hours Begin at: Savage's Trading Post on Hwy 140 Get Directions overview amenities Hite Cove Trail Poison oak is also present along the trail, a plant that, when burnt, produces toxins capable of causing respiratory distress, although there were no fires known to be burning in the area at the time of the deaths. John was supposed to work Monday and never showed up and that raised more concerns. ", 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. (Read more mysterious death stories.). A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 18. A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 18. Six more causes of death have been ruled out in the baffling case. At least 17 photos were taken Aug. 15 over the span of four hours. It was extremely hot that day with local temperatures reaching around 107 to 109 degrees, investigators say. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. There were no signs of damage to their bodies. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. 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. First published on September 1, 2021 / 9:48 AM. Following the discovery of the bodies, although there was no sign of foul play or of trauma to the bodies, but in accordance with procedure, the investigation was classified as a homicide, pending results from the coroners post-mortem examinations and toxicology tests. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "This is a real tragedy," Mariposa County Sheriff-Coroner Jeremy Briese said Thursday at a press conference. For weeks police and national forest investigators were baffled as to what killed the family. 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. Investigators were also considering whether toxic algae blooms may have contributed to their deaths. Lightning strikes in Mariposa County's Hite Cove under consideration. In some cases it can damage a person's heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs and prompt injury or death. The area is northeast of Mariposa and southwest of Yosemite National Park. 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. The Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told The Fresno Bee that he didn't believe the deaths were connected to a nearby mine. "I've been here for 20 years, and I've never seen a death-related case like this," he told The Times. 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. 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. Sheriff Jeremy Briese said," For Mariposa County, this is rare. 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. The first 3/4 of a mile for this trail crosses private property. 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. The married couple, Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung, along with their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oski, were all found dead, inexplicably, on Aug. 17 on a steep switchback trail roughly 1.5 miles from where they parked their car. Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week toxic algae blooms may contributed. 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