The final text message from a family who died of heat exhaustion on a remote hiking trail in Northern California has been recovered, according to local authorities.
Jonathan Gerrish, 45, his wife, Ellen Chung, their infant daughter Miju, and dog Oski, were all found dead in a remote part of the Sierra National Forest near Yosemite National Park. The family’s bodies were recovered on August 17, with phone records showing that Gerrish attempted to send a text message in the morning of Aug. 15, saying, “[name redacted] can you help us. On savage lundy trail heading back to Hites cove trail. No water or over (over) heading with baby,” according to a Facebook post from Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office.
The family made five phone calls between 12:09pm and 12:36pm following their final text message, not including those made to 911, according to the post. As there is no cell reception in the area, none of the calls connected and the text message never delivered to the intended recipient, the Sheriff’s office reported.
Several photographs were recovered from Gerrish and Chung’s phones that had been taken throughout their hike, the first of which was taken at 7:44am at the start of the trail, according to the Facebook post. (RELATED: Accomplished Distance Runner Found Dead In Yosemite Park Summit)
Investigators were initially baffled by the deaths and spent the last several months examining all available data to determine the family’s final movements, reported the New York Post. The deaths were initially treated as a HAZMAT situation given the bizarre nature of the discovery.
Autopsies revealed that they died of hyperthermia (extreme heatstroke) near the Savage/Lundy Trail where temperatures had reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit that day, per NY Post reports. They had hiked 6.4 miles, carrying an 85-ounce water container, which was empty when authorities discovered their bodies roughly 1.6 miles away from their car, according to NY Post.