SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths of a Northern California couple, their baby and the family dog on a remote hiking trail, authorities said. But an expert told deputies the levels were low and that a dog would have to drink multiple liters to die. Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oski, were all found dead on Aug. 17. The authorities had no explanation for their deaths but closed off trails near where their bodies were found. In 2018, he was named SPJ Reporter of the Year in Northern California. They were protective of their young daughter, the man told detectives, and at one point asked him to make their daughters bedroom cooler because it was too stuffy.. Crime and Public Safety | Chung was a yoga instructor and graduate student and Gerrish was a Snapchat engineer. Lightning possibly caused death of family hiking near Yosemite - KTVU FOX 2 (Craig Kohlruss via AP), San Francisco Family Found Dead in Sierra Foothills Not Exposed to Chemicals from Mine, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. When a young family died mysteriously on a trail in Californias Sierra Nevada mountains in August, authorities scoured the area for clues. Officers and firefighters were called to Skyline Drive and Lynvale Court around 1:40 p.m. for a . "He loved showing the baby all sorts of things and explaining them to her.". Searchers found the bodies on Tuesday on the Hite Cove Trail near an area known as Devil Gulch on the south fork of the Merced River, a mile or so from their parked car, after a friend of the Mariposa family reported them missing on Monday. Its obviously so devastating.. Police would ultimately arrest four men in the killings, Larry Green, J.C.X. But the hazmat declaration was lifted Wednesday, and Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said he didn't believe the mines were a factor, the Fresno Bee reported Thursday. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. According to the Fresno CBS affiliate, Gerrish was from the United Kingdom and met Ellen Chung in San Francisco before they relocated to Mariposa during the pandemic in 2020. More than two weeks later, investigators are still confounded by what caused their deaths. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni. UPDATE: Feds Close Portion of Merced River Near Where Family Died Mysteriously. Is San Francisco a dead city? - Quora Maybe there was a gas leak from a nearby mine. The front door of the Mariposa County Sheriff Coroner?s office in downtown Mariposa, California, on Thursday afternoon, August 19, 2021. Investigators initially called a helicopter to the area and said Chung was still missing. . Teams in hazmat suits had already combed the area for clues. Just been battling through the bush to find the property corners so much fun., Gerrish had been finding the boundaries of his new properties, said the man who helped manage the familys construction projects. John Gerrish, his wife Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter Miju and the family dog were all found dead on a hiking trail near Hite's Cove in the Sierra National Forest on Aug. 17th. San Francisco, CA, July 4, 1970. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. August 26, 2021 / 11:59 PM His homemade drum kit was made of 5-gallon drums, water jugs, and other odds and ends. 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The day of the Mariposa familys hike, the temperatures were in the upper 70s in the morning, but rose to 109 in the afternoon when they were on the trail. The moment the family started their hike with their lack of water and other deficiencies the clock was ticking, the doctor said. The remote area where the bodies were found had no cellphone service, Mitchell said. The Bureau of Land Management also closed campgrounds and recreation areas along the Merced River upon discovery of toxic algae blooms in the water. Genaro Broccolo, who was found dead on October 30, 1932. The Forest Service, which temporarily closed all national forests in California this week because of the wildfires spreading across the state, did not respond to a request for comment. SFGate.com reported that Gerrish had been working for Snapchat. 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. Grueling mid-day temperatures and a lack of shade had moved locals in recent years to avoid the hike during the summer. In September, Sierra national forest closed trails near where the family died, citing unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy trail. A deer walks in front of the Mariposa County, California, home of John Gerrish and Ellen Chung on August 19, 2021. He is described as a man who is about 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, and is bald with brown eyes. Tom Sizemore news: Saving Private Ryan star dead at 61 - ABC7 San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm Friday, March 3, 2023 7:53PM EMBED <>. Bay City News. The area around Hite's Cove was the site of a hard rock gold mining operation in the mid-19th century. Relatives of Jesus Salgado, 48, contacted authorities reporting that he had admitted to them he was involved with the kidnapping, Warnke told KFSN-TV on Tuesday. An incident description said that the agency had received a report of a suspected illness in the area. Their death is being handled as a hazmat and coroner investigation. We have a whole family wiped out and for what? Investigators have not found a link between Salgado and the family to show they knew each other before the kidnapping. Later, it shows him leading the men, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singhs pickup truck. Investigators were considering whether a toxic substance, such as gas from mines in the area or toxic algae, could have been responsible. Related Articles The American Hiking Society has a list of the ten essential items that everyone should have when heading out for a trek. A sign warning visitors of harmful algae is located at the Hites Cove / Devils Gulch trailhead area, on Thursday afternoon, August 19, 2021, in Mariposa County, California. Jonathan Gerrish, originally from the UK, with Ellen Chung, who was studying to become a therapist. Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The shimmering Bay Lights turn off Sunday night as the effort to raise $11 million to fund a bigger, better version is only partway there. Sheriff's deputies remained mystified over how a family of three, along with their dog, perished on a remote hiking trail in Mariposa County. When they were not able to reach their family members, they called the Merced County Sheriffs office to report them missing, the office said. Detectives pored over a map of old mines and pinpointed nothing nearby. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. SAN FRANCISCO A Northern California family of three that had been reported missing was found dead Tuesday along with the familys dog on a hiking trail in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest, authorities said. The Merced River Recreation Site was shut down by officials in late August "due to unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail." 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The area in the Sierra National Forest where the bodies were found on Aug. 17th had been treated as a hazmat site after concerns were raised about the deaths being linked to potentially toxic gases from old mines nearby. "The San Francisco 49ers are mourning the passing of Ed Beard who played 8 seasons with the team from 1965-1972. Nov. 3, 2022 Updated: Nov. 4, 2022 12:31 p.m. For the first time since 2019, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations in San Francisco's Mission District went down as planned in the. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated from UC Davis. The parked car was searched, but nothing was found to help investigators to determine what happened to the family, Mitchell said. Man found dead at Thornton Beach in Daly City The sheriffs office said that firefighters on Monday found Amandeep Singhs truck on fire. There was no suicide note.". Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? Crime and Public Safety | Tracy Barbutes / Special to The Chronicle, Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. The sheriffs department described the case as an unusual, unique situation. The familys dog, Oski, an Aussie-Akita mix, was also found dead. But multiple crime labs have been unable to access the Google Pixel 4 to check for any failed texts or calls on the day of the hike cell phone coverage is spotty at best along the trail and the device is still at FBI headquarters. There is no indication anyone saw the family on the trail. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! And as the investigation continued, areas by were the family had hiked were all subject to closures. Cause of death revealed for California family found dead on hike near Yosemite. Family of 3 dead in suspected murder-suicide in . Grateful Dead Family Dog at the Great Highway 4.18.70 He has been a metro reporter, a columnist, a reviewer and a feature writer. If you are hiking in triple degree temperatures you will need at least a liter of water for every hour you plan to be out, he says. In recent months, multiple hikers, including ultramarathon runner Philip Kreycik and athlete Fred Zalokar, were found dead in California after embarking on long, precarious treks. Three children were fatally stabbed and two were injured Friday in an attack at a home in Italy, Texas, police said. The hiking trail ran through an area of forest known particularly in springtime to have spectacular wildflower displays. San Francisco Family Found Dead in Sierra Foothills, Possible Victims Investigators have ruled out 2 causes of death in case of Mariposa A young California family died while on a hike. This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather, Briese said at the time. He had made a . A deer walks in front of the onetime Mariposa County home of Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung on Aug. 19, 2021. A spokeswoman for the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office said in an email on Wednesday that there were no new updates in the investigation.