Snapchat engineer and family found dead on hiking trail killed by dehydration
BREAKING NEWS: Snapchat engineer, his wife and baby found dead on a remote California hiking trail were killed by hypothermia and possible dehydration
John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and their dog were found dead on a remote hiking trail in CaliforniaOn Thursday their cause of death was given as hypothermia and probable dehydrationThe temperatures were 99-103 degrees on August 17, when they were found deadThey were found with one empty 85oz bladder for water with them, and no other water containers Water nearby was confirmed to contain the naturally occurring toxin Anatoxin-A, which can be fatal to animals – but there was no evidence the family ingested it Their death had mystified police who quickly ruled out a number of causes of death including extreme heat, a lightning strike, and carbon monoxide
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A California sheriff has revealed a British Snapchat engineer, his wife and daughter died of hypothermia and probable dehydration while on a hike – ending a mystery that had puzzled people for months.
Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese held a news conference on Thursday to discuss the mysterious deaths of John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and their dog.
The Northern California family went hiking on a remote trail close to the Merced River in the Sierra National Forest, where they were found dead August 17 after a family friend reported them missing.
The family were found 1.6 miles from their vehicle.
There was one 85 ounce Camelbak bladder for water with them, which was empty. There were no other water containers with them, Briese said.
Jeremy Briese of Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference on Thursday to reveal the cause of death of the family, after months of speculation
The Northern California family went hiking on a remote trail close to the Merced River in the Sierra National Forest, where they were found dead August 17
The bodies of the family of three and their pet were found on the Savage Lundy Trail, 1.5 miles from their parked truck
Briese said that dehydration can cause dizziness and ultimately death.
‘Our message to the hiking community is please take into account aquifers as well as geographics,’ he said.
Mariposa County Sheriff’s investigators have worked with toxicologists, environmental specialists, the FBI and other experts.
They had already already ruled out the causes being related to a gun or any other weapon, extreme heat, a lightning strike, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, cyanide exposure, illegal drugs, alcohol or suicide.
Briese said there were ‘no apparent causes of death’ when the family was found.
He said the area was known to have mines, and police were concerned about possible environmental hazards.
Toxic algae blooms were discovered around 12 miles downstream from where Gerrish and his family were discovered dead, prompting the Bureau of Land Management earlier this month to close hiking trails and campgrounds along a stretch of the Merced River to the public.
After water samples from the river tested positive for toxic algae, authorities closed 28 miles of the waterway between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby.
Brises said on Thursday that they used six separate laboratories to test the water.
‘The water was confirmed positive for Anatoxin-A’, said Briese.
Anatoxin-A isa naturally occurring toxin also known as Very Fast Death Factor (VFDF).
‘There was no evidence that the family ingested the toxin,’ he said.
The bodies of the family of three and their pet were found on the Savage Lundy Trail, 1.5 miles from their parked truck
The Sierra National Forest in California closed more than a dozen trails, campgrounds and picnic areas, citing ‘unknown hazards’
At around 7.45am on August 15, a witness saw Gerrish and Chung heading to the Savage Lundy Trail in their truck.
Two days later, the parents, their one-year-old daughter and their dog, Oski, were discovered by on the trail by search and rescue teams.
Investigators previously revealed that Gerrish was researching the Hites Cove hike on a phone app the day before the family set off on their doomed journey.
Detectives believe they managed most of a challenging 8.5-mile loop, which included five miles along a steep slope with little shade as temperatures reached 109 degrees, before they died on the hiking trail, about 1.5 miles away from their truck, which was parked at the Hites Cove trailhead.
A missing person’s report was made at 11pm on August 16 and a Mariposa County sheriff’s deputy discovered their truck at the end of Hites Cove Road at the trailhead around three hours later.
Search teams were deployed on the steep trails and the family were found along the switchbacks leading back to their trucks at 11am on August 17.
Gerrish was a software developer for Snapchat and had previously worked for Google. He graduated from Newcastle University. His American wife, Ellen Chung, was studying psychology and the couple were very active
There were few clues for detectives at the scene and no signs of foul play, such as trauma, the police said.
No significant evidence was found in searches of the family home and vehicles, the sheriff’s office said.
Gerrish was a software developer for Snapchat and had previously worked for Google. He graduated from Newcastle University.
His American wife was studying psychology and the couple were very active and often spent time outdoors or traveling.
