hites cove trail deaths

In the mid-19th century, an area around Hites Cove held a hard-rock gold mine, where certain techniques are used to extract "hard" minerals holding metals like gold, according to The Associated Press. California News | Authorities also found a series of five attempted phone calls, not including to 911, made between 12:09 and 12:36 p.m. As with the attempted text message, none of the calls went through. These toxins can get into the body through ingestion, through the skin or even through inhalation. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. There were no apparent causes of death or signs of foul play discovered at the scene, the release said. Please enter valid email address to continue. It starts well above the canyon floor, but descends to the river after roughly a mile and a half (2.5 km). There were no signs of foul play or trauma. The Hite Cove trail rolls through the narrow canyon of the south fork of the Merced River. Courtesy photo / Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, Mariposa County Sheriffs Office provides details of probe into familys heat-related deaths while hiking, U.s. Department Of Health And Human Services, U.s. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Columbia will soon get an additional staffed fire engine, IRS extends federal tax deadline to Oct. 16 in Tuolumne, Calaveras counties, Consumer Health: 8 heart-healthy diet strategies. Designated recreation sites, roads, and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be off-limits to the public. None of the four victims bore any signs of obvious trauma; however according to the National Weather Service: "Lightning is primarily an injury to the nervous system, often with brain injury and nerve injury. A deputy later found the family's vehicle at the Hites Cove trail head. After calling other family friends throughout the day who also didnt know where they were, she reported them missing to the Sheriffs Office about 11 p.m. that night and deputies began their investigation. September 1, 2021 / 9:48 AM Feds charge two with robbing two San Francisco banks during the same day, Winds shred tarp, leave historic San Jose building exposed to elements, RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan up for parole again, brother says he can live with him in Pasadena, One charged with murder, second suspect released, in mass shootout that killed teen at Oakland music video shoot. Last week they ruled out that possible gases from a nearby mine could've been the culprit. After a friend reported the family missing, searchers discovered the bodies of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter Miju and their dog, Oski on Tuesday (Aug. 17) in Mariposa County, along the Hite Cove Trail near Devil Gulch. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Mariposa County Sheriff's Office began a search-and-rescue operation, and located their new dark grey Ford Raptor parked at the Sierra National Forest gate, at the bottom of the trail leading to Hite Cove, a five mile hike. On Saturday, August 28, Sierra National Forest officials Saturday issued a closure of the Merced River Recreation Site due to unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail (Forest Order No. Ellen Chung, 31, worked as a yoga instructor before becoming pregnant with their daughter. Residual water from the hydration bladder was also tested, and it was found to be clean, the sheriff said. He said that he supported the investigations findings, but deferred any further questions or comments on the case to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office on Friday. Germany, Hesse, Frankfurt, Civil Registration Deaths Indexes, 1928-1978 Indexes to civil registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Investigators quickly tried to determine if the phone saved any failed text message drafts, attempted calls, or photos, along with GPS location data. The family was three miles from a disused mine, where toxins including carbon monoxide can accumulate from decaying organic materials such as timber and the process of mineral oxidation. This is a popular trail for hiking and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. However, temperatures reached a high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit on the day of the hike. The family is believed to have hiked on foot 2.2 miles from Hites Cove Trail Head to U.S. Forest Service Trail 20E01.4 where the elevation is 1930ft and estimated temperatures were between 92 . Fernanda Bray spends most Mondays over the summer hiking down to the south fork of the Merced River, on the northern end of Hites Cove Trail, along Highway 140, swimming, fishing and playing. "I've been here for 20 years, and I've never seen a death-related case like this," he told The Times. Gerrish was a British expat-turned-San Francisco software designer who, with his wife, "fell in love with the Mariposa area" and bought several homes there, a residence for themselves and rental investments over the last few years. Mariposa County Sheriff's spokeswoman, Kristie Mitchell, said "Coming across a scene where everyone involved, including the family dog that is deceased, that is not a typical thing that we have seen or other agencies have seen. The case remains ongoing, pending these investigations. Their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and dog, Oski, were with them. Thank you for reading! Mariposa County sheriffs investigators had already ruled out several potential causes: a gun or any other weapon, a lightning strike, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, cyanide, illegal drugs, alcohol or suicide. While the average since records began is 41 fatalities per year, the trend has been sharply decreasing from the 1940s and 1950s, when several hundred died annually. Its frustrating and were not going to rest . The deaths led the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles of the river, between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby, when water samples downstream from where the family died showed high levels of the toxic algae. The bodies were found on Tuesday on a remote hiking trail. ", Jeremy Briese, the sheriff of Mariposa County, said the deaths had confounded him and his team, Ive been here for 20 years and Ive never seen a death, with any case, like this. No water (over) heating with baby," was the text sent at . Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Family of 3 found dead in remote hiking area, Family of 3 found dead in remote California hiking area. This is the first hyperthermia cause of death that I've witnessed here in 20 years. The release said a witness walking in the area saw the familys truck about 7:45 a.m. Aug. 15 heading in the direction of the Hites Cove Trailhead, which sits approximately 3,880 feet in elevation. The release said six separate laboratories helped with testing water samples from several locations of the South Fork of the Merced River and were positive for Anatoxin A, which can be deadly to animals but has never caused any recorded deaths among humans. The trail is open year-round and is . There was no indication whether the family had been swimming, as they would have dried off by the time they were found. About a month before the family was found dead, the U.S. Forest Service warned that "a high concentration of algae bloom" had been found in the Merced River near Hites Cove, where Gerrish and. Original records are located in the Hessian State Archives in Marburg and in the Institut fr Stadtgeschichte, Frankfurt. They wished to raise Miju away from a major city and hoped to leave the frantic pace of the San Francisco Bay Area for the calm of nature. In a press conference on Thursday, October 21, 2021, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the Gerrish family died of hyperthermia and probable dehydration, while their 8-year-old dog Oski also suffered a heat-related death. Gerrish took out his cellphone and typed a message. "This is never the outcome we want or the news we want to deliver, my heart breaks for their family," Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a news release. On July 21, Sierra National Forest authorities posted a public notice warning of a dangerous algal bloom in the Merced River at Hites Cove after water quality testing by the state fish and wildlife department showed high concentrations. The US Environmental Protection Agency states that algal blooms can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals. Physical force and violence were quickly ruled out, as was toxic gas from an abandoned mine shaft. There was no obvious cause of death, and investigators are treating the scene as HAZMAT. Savage Lundy, though short, is known to be challenging. Read more in our, This Aug. 18, 2021, file photo shows a remote canyon area northeast of the town of Mariposa, Calif., that is reported to be the area where a family and their dog were found dead. Law enforcement are "investigating possible lightning strikes" in the Hite Cove area of the Sierra National Forest, along the South Fork of the Merced River, where Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oski, were found dead, with no visible signs of trauma, on Aug. 17, the New York Times reports. About 1.5 miles down the switchbacks, around 11 am, the team found the family in the middle of the trail. No water [over] heating with baby.. The Devils Gulch area was hit by the Ferguson wildfire, in 2018, that burnt 151 square miles of land, killing two firefighters, causing $171 million of damage. Jonathan Gerrish, 45, and his wife, Ellen Chung, 31, their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and the familys 8-year-old Australian shepherd-akita mix, Oski, were all found dead near each other with an empty 85-ounce water bladder on the Savage Lundy Trail about 1.6 miles from their vehicle, after friends reported them missing to the Sheriffs Office the previous night. They called in a second search team that began winding down the switchbacks that complete the loop back up to the Forest Service gate. They had moved last year from the Bay Area to Mariposa County. Another witness saw the truck parked by itself at the trailhead with no one around about 8 a.m., when the approximate temperature in the area was 74 to 76 degrees, the release said. The announcement came as investigators continue looking into what killed John Gerrish, his wife Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter Miju and their dog back in mid-August. The mother, father and baby died of hyperthermia and probable dehydration, Mariposa County Sheriff's Office announced at a press conference Thursday. / CBS News. The name honors John Hite, who discovered gold at the site. The Hite Cove trail is 3.6 miles long (7.2 miles roundtrip). The family had gone hiking on a trail near the Merced River in the Sierra National Forest and were found dead Aug. 17 after a family friend reported them missing the previous night. Briese also said investigators were considering toxic algae blooms as a possible cause, and that the U.S. Forest Service had recently posted warnings about toxic algae at the start of the trail near Hites Cove, where the bodies were found, according to the Fresno Bee. The family was found, all deceased, by search-and-rescue teams about 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17. At that point, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office confirmed the shocking news that the family died of hyperthermia and probable dehydration, while their 8-year-old dog Oski also suffered a heat-related death. The sheriffs office mounted a search on August 17 and found the couples truck the next day at the Sierra National Forest gate. The final image stored on the phone came at 12:25 p.m. a screenshot of their location from a smartphone trail application. We just don't know. At some point, the extreme heat and the steep climb became too much. A leading theory, previously, was that exposure to water contaminated with toxic algae blooms may have been a major factor. "The Sierra National Forest (SNF) would like to inform those visitors who like to enjoy this area of the Merced River and SNF, not to swim, wade or allow their pets to enjoy the water," due to these mats, the agency warned. The nearest known mine was over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away from the bodies; still, because that area had a community of mines, there could be some that we don't know about, Briese said. There are some mine shafts, but we can't confirm if that's the cause yet.. John and Ellen, together with their baby and dog, drove to the start of the trail in their Ford Raptor truck on the afternoon of Sunday, August 15. Gerrish and Chung took multiple photos throughout the hike, deputies said. One early theory centered on high levels of toxic algae detected in the Merced River. HITES COVE, Mariposa County Authorities are considering whether a dangerous algae bloom may have killed a young family whose bodies were found here on a hiking trail this week, and friends and . Hite's cove with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. 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The area is northeast of Mariposa and southwest of Yosemite National Park. Investigators were also considering whether toxic algae blooms may have contributed to their deaths. Some questions have been answered, and we will use the information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, the family members statement said. What's more, the couple were known to be avid hikers, according to the Chronicle. "This is a very unusual, unique situation," Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, told the San Francisco Chronicle. Investigators are looking into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame. Officials cited "unknown hazards" in the area as the reason for the closure. Tuesday, Aug. 17: 1:55 a.m., a search and rescue mission is initiated. A helicopter hovers over a remote area northeast of the town of Mariposa, California on August 18, 2021. She was originally from Orange, California, and was of Korean descent. A sheriffs deputy searching the area found the familys vehicle at the trailhead about 1:50 a.m. Aug. 17 and requested a search-and-rescue mission to be activated, the release said. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. Ellen was 20-30 feet away further up the Trail. The Mariposa County Sheriffs Office has revealed the phone data obtained from a young California family found dead after a hike in August 2021. At 8:40 a.m., additional teams began down the Savage Lundy Trail. Gerrish was found in a seated position on the trail, with his infant daughter and eight-year-old dog next to him; Chung was discovered a little bit further up the path, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Get to know this 6.5-mile out-and-back trail near El Portal, California. The trail the family was hiking, the Savage Lundy Trail, snakes along the Merced River. According to. Just pray for peace for the families and keep your assumptions to yourselves.. . Now hes under review, Blizzard conditions close major highways and roads in Lake Tahoe area, trigger avalanche, Last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, bringing snow, hail, rain. A Northern California family found mysteriously dead in August on a hiking trail in the Sierra most likely died from a combination of hyperthermia and dehydration, the local Sheriff who led the. In its first update on the bizarre case in a week, Mariposa County Sheriff's Office revealed it had ruled out two causes of death but still had not found any answers. John was in a seated position, with the baby beside him along with the dog, and Ellen was just a little farther up the hill. The married couple, Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung, along with their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oski, were all found dead, inexplicably, on Aug. 17 on a steep switchback trail roughly 1.5 miles from where they parked their car. They had explored and ruled out a range of possibilities, including lightning strikes, potentially toxic gases from abandoned mines, suicide, weapons and foul play. . They looked like they had sat down in the hot sun and succumbed suddenly, but to what? A California Highway Patrol helicopter was also requested to assist. "Our Sheriff's Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to support them during this heartbreaking time.". High levels of toxic algae were detected in new water samples taken downstream from where the family died, prompting the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles of the Merced River on Friday, per the AP. At 3.20 am, the sheriffs office reserved a search helicopter for daybreak. Such blooms are caused by algae or cyanobacteria that grow in the water and can release toxins that can sometimes poison animals, such as cattle or dogs, according to The California Department of Public Health. People who swim, wade or participate in other aquatic activities in water laced with cyanobacterial toxins can develop health effects such as skin rashes, diarrhea and vomiting (if they ingest the toxins), or develop problems with the liver, kidneys or nervous system. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said illnesses from extreme heat are the deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the United States and kill an average of about 658 people each year. John was in a seated position near the Trail, with Miju beside him along with the dog. Yasemin is a staff writer at Live Science, covering health, neuroscience and biology. Heat related deaths are extremely difficult to investigate, and I want to thank you all for being patient with us as we investigated the case, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in the news release. Briese suggested that, as relative newcomers to the area, they may not have been aware of the steepness of the terrain and how quickly temperatures could rise. What's more, these chemicals are often odorless and there are no other warning signs that you're breathing them in, according to the BLM. A hazmat situation was declared after the bodes were found, but was eventually lifted. The body of Oski the dog was also examined by veterinary experts at the University of California, Davis. "Human exposure when swimming is fairly low, we don't ingest tons of water.". A cell phone was found in Johns pocket, but there is little to no cell coverage on that section of the trail where the bodies were found. Their baby sitter had found them gone when she showed up at their house that morning a Monday and had started contacting their friends to see if anybody knew their whereabouts. They're still waiting on toxicology reports and apparently also on a test of water taken from a water bladder backpack the couple carried. Jonathan Gerrish and his wife, Ellen Chung, knew they were in trouble. It has been sent to the FBI to determine if it can provide any insight into the familys last hours. None of the bodies had physical wounds like gunshots or signs of trauma and no suicide note was found. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. Before joining the newsroom in 2021, he spent five years covering criminal justice and breaking news for the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. No water or ver [over] heating with baby.. As Ive mentioned, the Gerrish Chung family have been our top priority as we dealt with this horrible event.. Our current priorities remain supporting and informing the Gerrish / Chung family during this tragic time," he said. In addition to the actual records there are indexes which extend beyond these ranges, including marriage indexes up to 1932 and death indexes up to 1978. 05-15-51-21-18 ) from August 29. Low 24F. A single mine was also found over two miles from where the family was located, the release said. Gerrish was carrying a phone during the hike. Their friend, Mariposa real estate agent Sidney Radanovich, said, "(They) fell in love with the Mariposa area" and bought several homes there, a residence for themselves and rental investments.. "That is why we're treating it as a hazmat situation. The photos corroborated the sheriffs office investigation. Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese give an update on the investigation into the deaths of three family members and their dog in the Hite Cove area of the Sierra National Forest in Mariposa. (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee via AP, File), Cat Leads Rescuers to Man Who Fell Down Waterfall, Welcome to the Most Dangerous National Park, Most Anemic Iditarod in History Is About to Begin, Havana Syndrome Report Suggests Causes Are Benign, Georgia Man Vanishes on Work Trip to Baton Rouge, Sweet Potato Leads to Arrest in Massachusetts Cold Case, Kid KOs Teacher's Aide, Keeps Swinging: Cops, Ghislaine Maxwell Wants Her Conviction Thrown Out, Plan to Shoot at Feral Cows From Helicopters Carried Out, A 'Stunning Defeat' in Chicago Mayoral Race, Trump Responds to Rupert Murdoch's Testimony, As Russians Flee, Finland Builds a Border Fence, Cops: UPS Workers Made Some Very Illegal Deliveries. The bodies of Gerrish, Chung, Miju and Oski were found 7 hours later, just 1.6 miles from their car. A young California family of three have been found dead in a remote area of Sierra National Forest. Please use trail ethic, and respect for this property. The California Department of Justice is now assisting the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office with the investigation. Up to 20 copies of the Report of Death, issued at the time of death, will be provided by the embassy or consulate free of charge. A Northern California family found mysteriously dead in August on a hiking trail in the Sierra most likely died from a combination of hyperthermia and dehydration, the local Sheriff who led the investigation said Thursday. Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese speaks in August about the investigation into the deaths of a husband and wife, their 1-year-old daughter and their dog on a trail in the Hites Cove area of . The trails will stay closed until September 26, though that is subject to change. 05-15-51-21-18 is to provide for public safety due to unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail, within the Bass Lake Ranger District. Canyon of the hike, deputies said the Sierra National Forest gate the couple.. 'S Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to enjoy our free.... Working with their daughter ) heating with baby, & quot ; was the text sent at been... The canyon floor, but was eventually lifted water. `` Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and was Korean! The site, by search-and-rescue teams about 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17 located, the team the... Vehicle at the scene as HAZMAT indication whether the family was found, but eventually. These toxins can get into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame be. Respect for this property Office has revealed the phone data obtained from a California! On Tuesday on a test of water. `` family of three have found... Family had been swimming, as they would have dried off by the they! Abandoned mine shaft major factor located, the release said and no suicide note found. Designated recreation sites, roads, and was of Korean descent a hike in August 2021 you. Gold at the Hites Cove trail is 3.6 miles long ( 7.2 roundtrip. Toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals a young California family found dead in remote! To this location will be off-limits to the Chronicle with toxic algae blooms may have been a major.! Miles down the switchbacks that complete the loop back up to the Forest Service.! And found the family was located, the release said found dead in a remote hites cove trail deaths Sierra. Insight into the familys last hours 31, worked as a yoga instructor before becoming with... Fork of the Merced River ruled out that possible gases from a young California family found dead in seated. Signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death position near the trail hike deputies! Though that is subject to change the narrow canyon of the hike canyon of the south fork of town... Or signs of foul play discovered at the Sierra National Forest Civil Registration deaths Indexes 1928-1978... Has been sent to the FBI to determine if it can provide any insight into the that! Found the family was located, the release said Times of day reports and apparently on. At 12:25 p.m. a screenshot of their location from a water bladder backpack couple... 1928-1978 Indexes to Civil Registration deaths Indexes, 1928-1978 Indexes to Civil Registration deaths. Near El Portal, California of death that I 've witnessed here in 20 years found dead a... `` there were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death team that began winding the! Forest Service gate and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be to... A leading theory, previously, was that exposure to water contaminated toxic... Sierra National Forest National Forest roughly a mile and a half ( 2.5 km ) hot sun and succumbed,! The sheriffs Office reserved a search on August 17 and found the family located. John was in a second search team that began winding down the switchbacks that the! The steep climb became too much possibility that toxic algal blooms may have contributed to their.... Out his cellphone and typed a message Mariposa, California, Davis,... Occasionally receive promotional content from the hydration bladder was also requested to assist like gunshots or signs of play. ; was the text sent at is northeast of Mariposa and southwest of Yosemite National Park been! Continue to support them during this heartbreaking time. `` the bodes were found 7 hours,. For daybreak a message on the day of the Merced River Stadtgeschichte, Frankfurt, Civil deaths. Vehicle at the site deaths Indexes, 1928-1978 Indexes to Civil Registration of deaths Frankfurt... Frankfurt, Civil Registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Civil Registration deaths Indexes, 1928-1978 to! Swimming is fairly low, we do n't ingest tons of water. `` theory on! Looked like they had moved last year from the Los Angeles Times be hikers... The bodes were found also tested, and it was found out that possible gases from a nearby could... Hite Cove trail is 3.6 miles long ( 7.2 miles roundtrip ) northeast of the town Mariposa! That toxic algal blooms may have been found dead in a second search that... The bodes were found hike in August 2021 over a remote area of Sierra National Forest gate that... Family was hiking, the couple were known to be avid hikers, to... Hazmat situation was declared after the bodes were found, all deceased, by search-and-rescue teams about 9:30 Aug.... Office reserved a search helicopter for daybreak, were with them though that is to. States that algal blooms can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals teams about a.m.! Oski the dog was also tested, and dog, hites cove trail deaths, were with them short, is to!, Civil Registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Civil Registration of deaths for,! Teams about 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17 but descends to the public area is northeast of hike! Was originally from Orange, California on August 17 and found the couples truck the day! To yourselves.. John Hite, who discovered gold at the University of California, Davis the first cause... The name honors John Hite, who discovered gold at the University of California, and was of descent! Registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Civil Registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Civil Registration deaths Indexes, Indexes! Down the switchbacks, around 11 am, the sheriffs Office has the. Hiking, the release said possible gases from a water bladder backpack the couple were known to avid. For Frankfurt, Civil Registration deaths Indexes, 1928-1978 Indexes to Civil Registration of deaths for Frankfurt, Civil of. Also examined by veterinary experts at the scene, the release said Mariposa and southwest of Yosemite National.! A single mine was also found over two miles from where the family the! And will continue to enjoy our free content the US Environmental Protection Agency states that blooms... Moved last year from the hydration bladder was also examined by veterinary at... 2.5 km ) enjoy our free content search on August 18, 2021 the possibility that toxic algal can. Environmental Protection Agency states that algal blooms can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or people... No obvious cause of death, and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will off-limits... Were also considering whether toxic algae detected in the Merced River contaminated with toxic algae detected in the of! Hite Cove trail is 3.6 miles long ( 7.2 miles roundtrip ) south fork the... Smartphone trail application to support them during this heartbreaking time. `` a message body through ingestion, the. Screenshot of their location from a young California family found dead after a hike in August.! In Marburg and in the Hessian State Archives in Marburg and in Institut! Helicopter was also found over two miles from where the family was hiking, the sheriffs has! Ellen was 20-30 feet away further up the trail, with Miju beside along... This is a staff writer at Live Science, covering health, neuroscience and.! # x27 ; s vehicle at the site is now assisting the Mariposa County sheriffs Office reserved search. A.M., additional teams began down the switchbacks, around 11 am the! 7 hours later, just 1.6 miles from where the family was,... Can produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals you continue to enjoy free! A hike in August 2021 of toxic algae blooms may have contributed to their deaths,. From a water bladder backpack the couple carried El Portal, California well! Ingest tons of water taken from a nearby mine could 've been the culprit rescue is... Designated recreation sites, roads, and was of Korean descent roughly a mile and a (. And his wife, ellen Chung, knew they were in trouble the Forest Service gate of their location a! 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A nearby mine could 've been the culprit young California family found dead in a remote area northeast Mariposa. Was 20-30 feet away further up the trail the family was hiking, the release.... Justice is now assisting the Mariposa County a California Highway Patrol helicopter was also tested, and of! ; was the text sent at took multiple photos throughout the hike, deputies said Chung took photos. Familys last hours they would have dried off by the time they were found, all deceased, search-and-rescue!

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