The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office revealed the causes of deaths for a father, mother, and one-year-old child, found Aug. 17 in a forest in California.
John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, and their one-year-old daughter Miju died from the heat and dehydration while hiking in the Sierra National Forest, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in the announcement, NBC News reported.
A Northern California sheriff says a family of three and their dog died of extreme heat exhaustion and dehydration while hiking in a remote area in August. The case had baffled authorities and drew intense public interest. https://t.co/gpyxqN3H1B
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2021
Investigators were unable to determine the cause of death for the family’s dog, NBC News reported.
“Heat-related deaths are extremely difficult to investigate,” Briese said, according to the outlet. “There was one 85-ounce water bladder backpack located with the family. This water bladder was empty, and no other water containers, no other water filtration systems, were located amongst the family,” Briese reportedly said.
Authorities began a search and rescue operation to locate the family when they were reported missing on Aug. 16. Police were unsure of the circumstances surrounding the family’s death when the bodies were found, causing the area to be handled as a “hazmat” area. (RELATED: Woman Goes On Hike With Man She Just Met, Found Dead Hours Later)
The Daily Caller reached out to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but they did not immediately reply.