Cause of Death for Family That Died on Hike Revealed

John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, and their daughter likely suffered from hyperthermia
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 22, 2021 12:00 AM CDT
Cause of Death for Family That Died on Hike Revealed
Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese speaks during a news conference in Mariposa, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, to announce the findings in the death of a family found dead in August while hiking along a remote Sierra National Forest trail.   (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee via AP)

The California family that died mysteriously while on a hike near the Merced River likely died from hyperthermia and possible dehydration, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office revealed Thursday. John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their one-year-old daughter, and their dog were all found dead along the trail Aug. 17, and for months authorities have been ruling out possible causes of their mysterious deaths. While extreme heat was originally ruled out, the sheriff's office says hyperthermia deaths are difficult to determine and take a while to fully investigate, but that authorities are now fairly certain hyperthermia is in fact the cause, the Mercury News reports.

A witness reported seeing the family's truck going toward the Hite Cove Trail on the morning of Aug. 15, when it was 75 degrees Fahrenheit at an elevation of around 3,800 feet, ABC 30 reports. While Gerrish and Chung were experienced hikers, they had just recently moved to the area and weren't familiar with it. Gerrish mapped out the trail on his phone, but the app he used did not show the steepness of the trail—by the time they'd hiked 2.2 miles, down to an elevation of around 1,900 feet, the temperature had hit 92 to 99 degrees. Even further on, the temperature got higher; it hit 109 in the area that day, and much of the trail has no shade, thanks to a 2018 wildfire that burned the tree cover.

They had an 85-ounce water bladder with them, but it was empty when their bodies were found. Authorities believe they had hiked around 6 miles; they were found a mile and a half from their vehicle. The sheriff says the elevation change and temperature in the Devil's Gulch Valley would likely come as a surprise to people not familiar with the area, and that the app may have made the hike appear to be easier than it actually was. The cause of death for the dog has not been determined, but authorities believe it was also likely heat-related. Gerrish's phone has been sent to the FBI to investigate whether it holds any clues to the family's final hours. (More California stories.)

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