CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #4

[dalsglen]

Just seen this awful story, the whole family found deceased on a trail with no injuries.

Speculation in the article that it could be carbon monoxide or toxic algae exposure. So sad whatever the case.

Missing couple, their baby and dog are found dead in remote California hiking area | Daily Mail Online

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[Tiff23fr]

Mod Note:

Several posts have been removed for discussing a social media rumor. Information from social media is not allowed in thread unless it is posted on a victim or suspects public page, MSM, or LE Page, and can be linked via public url.

Social Media Rules

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts have been removed.

Stop the back and forth bickering, snark, and combative nonsense in this thread or Thread Reply Bans or Time Outs will be issued.

Thanks.

ETA: Also, a reminder that ALL images require a link to the source.

 

[CocoChanel]

Can you copy and paste the whole article? It’s behind a paywall.

MOD NOTE

Copyright law forbids copying and pasting more than 10% of any published article. With a paywalled article, WS asks that members post a summary of the cited info. THANK YOU fir posting respectfully and responsibly according to the TOS we all agreed to when we joined.

 

[ElementalLaura]

MODNOTE

Websleuths is victim-friendly. As such, we're suspending discussion on the intentional ingestion of recreational drugs as a contributing factor in this tragic incident unless and until there is any evidence revealed in toxicology reports, LE statements and/or approved mainstream media reports that would indicate otherwise.

Thank you for your understanding and for upholding Websleuths standards.

 

[CocoChanel]

A MOD WARNING

Hey folks,
This thread is veering into a snarky debate about your individual opinions. Opinions are welcome at Websleuths IF you clearly state that it is your opinion (MHO, MOO etc.) within your post, AND, your opinion is based on established facts in this case. What is NOT welcome is bickering, aggressive debating, and personalizing. These things are violations of the TOS we all agreed to when we joined.

If you disagree with a post, simply state your own opinion without calling out another member. Do not quote a post for the purpose of tearing it apart. Do not analyze others’ choice of wording. When there has been no official COD this tragedy, opinions are all we have. We have to be able to say them safely here without being attacked. Be careful NOT to victim-blame these parents because none of us know what was in their minds as they embarked on this hike.

This is a very sad case, and it naturally evokes much emotion. Please practice kindness and compassion on this thread as you manage your feelings about it. This is a warning to keep the TOS in mind as you post. Further TOS violations will result in more removed posts and possible temporary Time Outs for those who ignore the warning.

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[CocoChanel]

THANK YOU ALL for your efforts to keep this discussion respectful and responsible according to the TOS we all agreed to when we joined. There is room on Websleuths for various opinions as long as they are expressed as OPINION, and done with courtesy and compassion for the victims, their friends and family, and other members here. You all are achieving that. WELL DONE!

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[armchairagatha]

Occam’s razor points to heat related COD but maybe there are no obvious signs in the autopsy that rule out or confirm a heat stroke. Maybe they saw some markers but can’t confirm if they were due to heat stroke or something else. In which case LE would need to eliminate the other possibilities and then infer that heat was what caused it. MOO

 

[borndem]

<modsnip>

According to Steven Jeffe, their close family friend - from the Washington Post:
When they lived in San Francisco, the couple enjoyed DJing and going to clubs, Jeffe said. But since they moved to Mariposa — they became “avid outdoor people.”

They moved from SF just over a year ago, and "avid" outdoor people, does not equate with "highly experienced" outdoor people.
I just think a lovely, intelligent couple overestimated their capabilities, and underestimated Mother Nature. Carrying the baby had to be the physical
last straw as they started to fail. If the dog had to be carried too, that would have been the end of any chance of them making it to the car.

Just now joining this thread -- I don't know how I missed it...

So, let me say,

Welcome to Websleuths,
SeenTooMuch !!​

 

[borndem]

The house the poster is talking about is in Darrah and they bought it last year. Recently they purchased a beautiful home in Jerseydale right near the trail. Not sure if they were living in it yet though.

Like I've said before it's the most likely reason they were hiking that trail, and makes it even sadder to me.

Just for reference -- the current temp in Jerseydale, CA, is 86 degrees, F, at 3:00pm PDT.

 

[Rocky Mountain Hi]

That is VERY unusual that she didn't have a phone. There must be only a tiny fraction of women her age that don't own a mobile/cell phone. If they were maybe only relying on one phone as opposed to two and that one phone was out of battery then that makes it even more tragic.

She did have a phone. I read, that she'd left it at home. I thought LE was analyzing that, too, for clues about their plans, or any other info that might be useful. Wasn't that mentioned much earlier in the thread--that her phone was at home?

 

[Rocky Mountain Hi]

Just Google "Savage Lundy Trail". Click the map it shows, click Satellite view at lower left. You are looking at the switchbacks, drag it back and forth to appreciate how steep it is. Zoom in and take a close look at that treeless hellscape. Imagine toiling up that steep trail in temperatures over 100F/38C, with the sun broiling you. All that is what made it a difficult hike. Note that on a cool winter day it would just be a steep trail, no big deal for a regular hiker, but this was August. MOO.

"Treeless hellscape" for sure! Not really my idea of a pleasurable family outing. After seeing JG's AllTrails account, posted earlier, I wonder now, if he was more into collecting challenging hikes than enjoying scenery and leisurely family outings. There was a kind of notches-on-the-belt quality to his hiking log, but maybe that's not unusual. Still, it could explain his choice of a treeless hellscape for a weekend family hike, and ignoring high-temp warnings.

 

[woods]

She did have a phone. I read, that she'd left it at home. I thought LE was analyzing that, too, for clues about their plans, or any other info that might be useful. Wasn't that mentioned much earlier in the thread--that her phone was at home?

News articles don’t indicate where her phone was located.

 

[McSpy]

Occam’s razor points to heat related COD but maybe there are no obvious signs in the autopsy that rule out or confirm a heat stroke. Maybe they saw some markers but can’t confirm if they were due to heat stroke or something else. In which case LE would need to eliminate the other possibilities and then infer that heat was what caused it. MOO

I believe LE is trying to rule any other possibility out before saying the family’s deaths were related to the high heat of that day. It is all about ruling everything out before settling on heat stroke.

 

[Yvettea]

Poisonous toxin produced by algae blooms found in Merced River water samples

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

If they were truly well-prepared for that day, they would’ve brought a satellite phone instead in case of an emergency.

Some of my adventurous friends use Personal Locator Beacons that are much smaller and cheaper than Sat Phones, but also work thru satellites. The simple ones allow you to push a button to send an SOS with your coordinates, or another button that says you're OK. The best are amazing, I was supposed to rendezvous with a friend who was backpacking and she sent me a link to a map that showed her track in real time, and allowed me to send and receive short text messages with her. It's like science fiction. MOO.

 

[SophieRose]

Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Treatment

Drugs associated with increase risk of heat stroke

These include antihistamines, diet pills, diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, seizure medications (anticonvulsants), heart and blood pressure medications such as beta-blockers and vasoconstrictors, and medications for psychiatric illnesses such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine also are associated with increased risk of heat stroke.

 

[SophieRose]

Interesting story of a hiker suffering from heat stroke while hiking down Upper Yosemite Falls Trail.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/heat-stroke-on-a-hot-summer-day.htm

While the hasty team hiked up the trail, the 911-caller reported that his brother's condition was deteriorating. He had become unconscious, had a rapid pulse, and was no longer sweating. Park rangers quickly organized a carryout team. Once the initial team arrived on scene they found the hiker lying on his back and shaking uncontrollably, with hot, dry skin and a body temperature exceeding 104°F. Rescuers realized he was in critical condition and began cooling him down with IV fluids and cold packs. He appeared to be suffering from heat stroke.

 

[woods]

3 dogs have died on SoCal trails recently due to high heat

“Think twice before taking your dog on a hike in blistering heat; dogs are dying from heat exhaustion.”

"Dogs can succumb to heat stroke in less than 15 minutes”

Amber Gereghty, a Thousand Oaks pet owner, is still burdened by what happened to her golden retriever 11 years ago. "It was horrifying and traumatizing," she said. "She was panting extra fast and extra hard."
Only two years old and healthy, Maggie and her brother, Kobe, were on a hike with Gereghty and her husband. They'd taken extra water on a lower-90s afternoon. But then, suddenly, heat exhaustion struck both dogs. "She went up about another half mile and then absolutely collapsed," she said.
Kobe survived. Maggie did not.

Beatriz-Cholo said a Rhodesian ridgeback died Saturday, the most recent death in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area.
"The dog's heart stopped beating, and it died right there on the trail," she said. In the Santa Monica Mountains, shade trees are often few and far between but that's what a heat exhausted dog needs the most, next to water.
Think Twice Before Taking Your Dog on Hike in Blistering Heat: Dogs Are Dying From Heat Exhaustion

 

[Bekind89]

Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Treatment

Drugs associated with increase risk of heat stroke

These include antihistamines, diet pills, diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, seizure medications (anticonvulsants), heart and blood pressure medications such as beta-blockers and vasoconstrictors, and medications for psychiatric illnesses such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine also are associated with increased risk of heat stroke.

Thank you for posting this. I had a heat stroke when I was 16. I grew up in the hot, humid south and I am proof that no matter how acclimated you may be, heat can and does kill.
By the time I realized that I needed to get out of the heat, it was too late. I could not move. I sat down , just like JG. There was a cold water shower ( It was at a beach) literally within my reach but I could not crawl, lift an arm, nothing. Never had I been so weak and helpless. I would have died had someone not noticed me and given me help. They packed me in ice while waiting for the EMT's. It took ES 15 minutes to get there. My temperature after being packed in ice for 15 minutes was 105F. I have no idea what it was before the ice.
There isn't one doubt in my mind that this is heat stroke and nothing else. Unless you have experienced it or have seen someone else stricken, you just can not imagine how quickly it kills. It incapacitates you before realize you are in danger. Your mind doesn't register things and you are drained of energy.
If no ice , cold water, air conditioning, or emergency services are immediately available, death will occur within 30 minutes.
It has been difficult for me to map the Savage Lundy Trail and look at the hot, desolate, dystopian terrain and imagine the hellish heat that day.
We will never know why they made the decision to hike that trail in the extreme heat with a baby and a dog.
I just hope they went quickly.
Just want to add that I am now extremely heat sensitive. I also have MS and most people with MS are heat sensitive as well. One thing I have felt for the last two years is that the sun, heat, they are different. Hotter, deadly now. The sun doesn't feel the same, it almost feels alien. It truly frightens me as I live in the hot, very humid south. I have a pathological fear of the heat now. Never do I want to experience the hell of my brain cooking inside my head again.