Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Trails Closed Where Mariposa Family Mysteriously Died
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
September 2, 2021

Share

Federal officials closed a portion of trails at a national forest in Mariposa County where a family and their dog mysteriously died last month, citing pending toxicology reports on nearby water.

There was no clear cause of death, prompting authorities to treat the area in the Sierra National Forest as a hazmat scene.

The closure coincides with a statewide shutdown of all 20 million acres of national forest lands in California through Labor Day due to dangerous fire conditions and taxed firefighting crews.

Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths and are awaiting the results of water tests taken from the area where the family was found.

The area north of Fresno will be closed until Sept. 26 to “provide for public safety due to unknown hazards found in and near the Savage Lundy Trail,” according to the order. Rangers can reopen the trails if conditions change, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.

FBI Trying to Crack Father’s Cell Phone

John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and their dog were all found dead on Aug. 17 on a hiking trail near the national forest’s Hite’s Cove. A family friend had reported them missing.

The remote area where the bodies were found had no cellphone service. The FBI is trying to access Gerrish’s cell phone, which was found in his pocket, the newspaper reported.

“We are uncertain of the causes of death. We still haven’t gotten the results from the case,” said Leak Pen, assistant recreation officer at the Bass Lake Ranger District, which oversees that portion of the Sierra National Forest. “So, as a precaution, let’s go ahead and close it because we know there’s some form of hazard to the public.”

Toxicology reports are still pending, leading investigators to wait to list a cause of death, but last week they ruled out any weapons being used or dangerous gases from a mine along the trail.

One Test Shows Harmful Algae Bloom

Pen said one water test has come back positive for a harmful algae bloom. Others have turned up no toxic substances and still other tests are outstanding. Officials had already warned hikers of such blooms a month before the deaths along the south fork of the Merced River, so that result is not a surprise. Such freshwater blooms are not known to kill humans.

“Because of the heat there’s a chance they may have drank the water or tried to treat the water, but we don’t know,” Pen said. “It’s very mysterious, and we’re all just waiting for the results.”

The closure affects nine trails, six picnic sites, and the dirt Forest Road that leads to the Hites Cove trailhead. The district took two weeks to close the trail to figure out the logistics of shuttering such a large area and when they realized answers for the deaths were still far off, Pen said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony Frank Perkin

SF-Based Salesforce Is Buying Informatica in $8 Billion Deal

1 hour ago

Fresno Unified Safety Officer Alleges Battery by District Exec. What Does PD Say?

2 hours ago

Westlands Leader Calls Slight Water Boost ‘Disappointing’

Westlands Water District leader Allison Febbo characterized Tuesday’s announced 5% federal water allocation increase as “disappo...

20 minutes ago

20 minutes ago

Westlands Leader Calls Slight Water Boost ‘Disappointing’

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) annual meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 22, 2024. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File Photo
27 minutes ago

Republican Tuberville Announces Bid for Alabama Governor

Residents walk by power grid towers at Bair Island State Marine Park in Redwood City, California, United States, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
31 minutes ago

PG&E Sees Surge in AI Data Center Interest With Fresno Area Emerging as New Hotspot

Salesforce Tower in New York
1 hour ago

SF-Based Salesforce Is Buying Informatica in $8 Billion Deal

2 hours ago

Fresno Unified Safety Officer Alleges Battery by District Exec. What Does PD Say?

Authorities arrested 45 people and seized guns and drugs during a multi-agency parole and probation sweep across Tulare County over the past two weekends. (Tulare County SO)
3 hours ago

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 45 in Parole, Probation Sweep

Students walk on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi/File Photo
3 hours ago

Trump Administration Halts Scheduling of New Student Visa Appointments

3 hours ago

Trump Pardons Tax Cheat After Mother Attends $1 Million Dinner

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend