California family’s mysterious hiking deaths investigated
Investigators are probing the deaths of a Northern
California couple, their baby and the family dog after their bodies were found
on a remote hiking trail in the Sierra National Forest on Tuesday.
"This is a very unusual, unique situation," said Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. There was no suicide note."
Officials considered whether nearby abandoned mines had
released toxic gases and a hazmat situation was declared on Tuesday. Mariposa
County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said he didn’t think the mines were a factor and
the declaration was lifted on Wednesday.
"We don’t know the cause," he added. "We
won’t rest until we figure it out." He said the bodies were found around
three miles away from the only mine he knows of in the area, according to the
Sacramento Bee, adding that investigators continue to search for any other
potential causes.
John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old
daughter, Miju, and their dog were all found dead on a hiking trail near Hite’s
Cove in the Sierra National Forest. A family friend had reported them missing
Monday evening after they didn’t return from their one-day hiking trip on
Sunday and Gerrish missed work as a software engineer.
Their bodies were airlifted to the coroner’s office in
Mariposa for autopsies and toxicology exams, Mitchell said.
The State Water Resources Control Board said Thursday it was
testing waterways in the area for any toxic algae blooms.
The family had reportedly moved from San Francisco to the
more remote Mariposa when Gerrish started working remotely to enjoy nature
more, according to the Bee.
The remote area where the bodies were found had no cellphone
service, Mitchell said.
Comments
Post a Comment