Cause of death for California family on a hike heat-related, possible dehydration
ABC News
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office ruled the cause of death was hyperthermia.
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office ruled the cause of death was hyperthermia, due to environmental heat exposure, and possible dehydration, of the Northern California family who died while hiking this summer.
This update comes after almost three months after the bodies of John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, along with their 1-year-old daughter Muji and their family dog were found near the Merced River in the Sierra National Forest on Aug. 17.
Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said during a Thursday press conference that the family set off on a hike on Aug. 15 when the temperature was comfortably in the 70s, but as they continued to hike, temperatures rose into the 107 - 109 degree heat range.
"This section of the trail [where the family was found] is a South to South-East facing slope, exposing the trail to constant sunlight," Briese said during the press conference. "There's very little shade along the section of the trail due to the Ferguson Fire of 2018."
