Yee died Jan. 4, 2023. Police said the dog's official cause of death is undetermined, but its remains and other evidence suggest it also died from heat-related causes. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m . Gerrish was 45 and Chung was 30. Please use trail ethic, and respect for this property. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Many remain stranded in San Bernardino Mountains as snow blocks roads, threatens roofs, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. Some wondered whether water tainted by a toxic algae bloom in the Merced River, which runs along a portion of the trail, caused their deaths. Hite Cove itself is an abandoned mining settlement some 4.5 miles (7.2 km) down the trail. A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, California on August 18, 2021. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:53 a.m., the family's car is located down Hites Cove Road north of Jerseydale. 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. 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. They were out in the middle of a national forest on a day hike." This was once a mining community after the discovery of gold there in 1861, but it burnt down in 1924. ", 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. "So right now, we're treating the coroner investigation as a homicide until we can establish the cause.". 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. Everything from carbon monoxide, algae, lighting, hyperthermia, bacterial water contamination, and poison gas from mines were being explored as of late August 2021. According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the area is reported to be where a family and their dog were found dead. Looking for the best hiking trails in Frankfurt am Main? September 1, 2021 / 9:48 AM The nearest known mine was over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away from the bodies; still, because that area had a community of mines, there could be some that we don't know about, Briese said. None were successful because of lack of cell service in the area. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Its frustrating and were not going to rest . In some cases it can damage a person's heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs and prompt injury or death. 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. No additional water containers or filtration systems were found. 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. "The Sierra National Forest (SNF) would like to inform those visitors who like to enjoy this area of the Merced River and SNF, not to swim, wade or allow their pets to enjoy the water," due to these mats, the agency warned. 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. Almost four months later, those answers are in. We have no timeline for those pending results.". 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. The Hite Cove trail is 3.6 miles long (7.2 miles roundtrip). 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. On Aug. 15, the family got off to an early start. Contact Alex MacLean at amaclean@uniondemocrat.com or (209) 588-4541. "This is a real tragedy," Mariposa County Sheriff-Coroner Jeremy Briese said Thursday at a press conference. "Our Sheriff's Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to support them during this heartbreaking time.". It is located on the South Fork of the Merced River, 4.5 miles west-southwest of El Portal, at an elevation of 1578 feet and accessed via Hites Cove Road. A leading theory, previously, was that exposure to water contaminated with toxic algae blooms may have been a major factor. John was in a seated position near the Trail, with Miju beside him along with the dog. When the deputies found the truck, a search-and-rescue team hiked down the steep and straight road with flashlights and found shoe and paw prints similar to what would be expected from a family of that size with a dog. The already-outlandish theories of toxic algae or a gas leak from the mines below have even begun to lose weight. 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. We've looked at storms the weather, animals. The family had hiked along the Hites Cove Trail in the Sierra National Forest near the Merced River. / CBS News. Before joining the newsroom in 2021, he spent five years covering criminal justice and breaking news for the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. If additional copies are needed in the . But was this really a possible explanation, given the distance to the mine? The water bladder was empty when the bodies were found, he said. Last week, several trails and campgrounds around the Merced River Recreation Site near where the family died were shut down "due to unknown hazards". They had explored and ruled out a range of possibilities, including lightning strikes, potentially toxic gases from abandoned mines, suicide, weapons and foul play. The Hite Cove trail rolls through the narrow canyon of the south fork of the Merced River. "It's just a very bizarre situation," she said. "It makes for a very unique, very strange situation. 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. Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. Gerrish took out his cellphone and typed a message. At 7:44 a.m. Aug. 14, the couple took a photo and video a few yards from the trailhead. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Gerrish and Chung took multiple photos throughout the hike, deputies said. 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. None of the bodies had physical wounds like gunshots or signs of trauma and no suicide note was found. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, In its first update on the bizarre case in a week, Mariposa County Sheriff's Office revealed it had ruled out two causes of death but still had not found any answers. Theres no obvious indicators of how it occurred . Courtesy photo / Mariposa County 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. It was extremely hot that day with local temperatures reaching around 107 to 109 degrees, investigators say. John Gerrish, 45, was from Lancashire, in the U.K., and moved to the US several years ago, working as a software engineer for Google in San Francisco. 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. 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. It was 75 degrees when they began the hike around 8 a.m., but temperatures climbed swiftly as they descended. 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. 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. Explore the most popular trails in my list YNP. Investigations continued into late October 2021 as to what happened to the Gerrish family that day near Devils Gulch. A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 18. Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video. 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. How to Use This Collection. Investigators briefly considered the possibility that the family may have been exposed to toxic fumes from nearby abandoned mines. 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. Plenty of sunshine. Much of the route, inside the Ferguson Fire footprint, has little shade, and temperatures on Aug. 15 reached 109 in the area. [name redacted] can you help us, the text message, sent at 11:56 a.m., read. "Human exposure when swimming is fairly low, we don't ingest tons of water.". 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. 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. Lose weight the mines below have even begun to lose weight happened to the mine family... Right now, we do n't ingest tons of water. `` cell service in Sierra. 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