Following months of investigations, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office has finally pieced together the mystery behind the death of the Gerrish Family at a California hiking trail in August 2021.
Authorities have concluded that Jonathan Gerrish, 45, Ellen Chung, 31, and their one-year-old daughter, Aurelia, as well as the family dog, suffered hyperthermia and dehydration as they hiked under extreme heat at the Sierra National Forest.
"All the evidence kept pointing back to heat exposure and lack of water," the investigators said in their report, as obtained by The San Francisco Chronicle.
The investigators consulted with a wilderness survival expert and first aid instructor, who determined that Gerrish and Chung tried to save their child first, but the extreme heat turned this incident into a tragedy.
Baby Exhibited Hyperthermia First
According to the expert, it's likely that the baby was the first to exhibit hyperthermia, prompting one parent to separate to look for help. This explained why Chung's body was found further down the trail while the body of Gerrish, the baby, and their dog were a few meters away. The expert said that any parent would be driven "to push through the extreme heat" if they see their baby suffering.
Hyperthermia happens when the body temperature rises due to the heat from the environment. Per the National Institutes of Health, the condition can lead to heat fatigue, heat cramps, and heat stroke due to dehydration.
On the day of their hike, the temperature at the California hiking trail was at 75 degrees, which quickly jumped to 99 degrees as the Gerrish family walked for 2.2 miles. An experienced hiker familiar with the path would usually avoid this remote part of the Sierra National Forest between June to September because of the heat. The Gerrish family brought an 85-ounce water container, which was empty when the investigators found their bodies at a particular spot known as the Savage Lundy Trail.
The professional wilderness survivor said that the Gerrish family were likely caught off guard. Once they realized what was happening, they focused on saving their child. Doctors confirmed that a heat stroke can lead to death "in a matter of hours." Unfortunately, while they had their cell phones, there was no cell service on the site.
Rescuers scaled the trail after the babysitter reported the family missing the next day. Initially, they suspected that the family ingested poison in the area due to the presence of toxic algae, but now it's clear that they suffered from extreme heat.
First Case of Hyperthermia in 20 Years
Sheriff Jeremy Briese said that it's rare to have a hyperthermia case in this California hiking trail. In a statement, he said that this incident was the first recorded death due to heatstroke in 20 years, but tragedies like these can happen in the harsh California desert.
Family members said that the Gerrish couple lived in Mariposa from San Francisco for 16 months. They were avid hikers and had been known to go to several hiking trails in the area. Before their unfortunate death, the site they ventured to was a fairly popular site for hikers. However, there were fewer people during that time of the year because of the heat and the lack of shade.
