Authorities Find Parents, 1-Year-Old, Dog All Dead In Forest And Are ‘Treating It As A Hazmat Situation’

A missing California family that was reported missing Monday night was found dead Tuesday, with the scene being treated as a “hazmat” investigation, authorities announced.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office launched a search and rescue operation Monday night around 11:00 p.m. after the family of three was reported missing. Rescue teams found the family’s vehicle near the Sierra National Forest gate in the Jerseydale area before finding John Gerrish, Ellen Chung and their one-year-old daughter Miju dead in the Merced River drainage early Tuesday morning, according to police. The family’s dog was also found deceased. (RELATED: 4-Year-Old Boy Reported Missing In Utah Found Dead In Home)

The area where the bodies were found has no cellphone service and is desolate, according to KTLA 5.  Meanwhile, authorities are unsure what circumstances led to the family’s death and the scene is being handled as a “hazmat” investigation.

Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Kristie Mitchell said the family could have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to The Fresno Bee. “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,” Mitchell reportedly said. “That is why we’re treating it as a hazmat situation. We just don’t know.”

“It could be a carbon monoxide situation,” Mitchell said, according to Fox News. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re treating it as a hazmat situation.”

“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 statement. “Our Sheriff’s Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to support them during this heartbreaking time.”

The Daily Caller has reached out to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office but has yet to receive a response.