CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #6

[RickshawFan]

I was away for a week and unable to post, but I am so glad to see a resolution to this tragic case.

All along I have felt this was going to be a devastating case of heat stroke.As I have posted a few times, our 18 month old son was riding in a backpack on my husband, in August in the LA Zoo. We thought he was asleep, but when I took him out of the pack he wouldn't fully wake up.

His face was white as a sheet and beaded with sweat, he was really groggy, couldn't keep his eyes open or respond. I called out for help and a nice woman led us directly to a large First Aid tent by the entrance.

The medics seemed to know exactly what was wrong. They told us he was overheated and they immediately sat him in a sink of cool water up to his waist. They they put a cold pack on the back of his neck and one on his chest. He barely reacted and that was so frightening to see because he was not a passive kid.

After a couple minutes he began fussing and crying and pushing back at them, which made the medics happy. They told us that was a good sign but we need to continue bringing down his core temperature. They took him out of the water but put him on my lap and had us hold the cold packs on him for awhile longer.

He also sipped some ice water. They were considering giving him an IV of fluids for dehydration, but he was responding well and his vitals were good, so they didn't do that. But they didn't want us to take him to the hot car for the ride home yet. They suggested we keep him in the a/c somewhere while we cool down the car first. They didn't want him to have anymore spikes in hot temps for his body until he was fully recovered, so we went to the restaurant and sat in the shade and kept him cool with cold packs for another hour, while he ate chicken nuggets and relaxed.

But I imagined the horror of what we could have done if we had been on a rugged hike instead of at the Zoo. If on a hike, we'd have no shade or a/c, no cool water sink or cold packs, no ice water to drink, and no medics to monitor the situation.

The medics told us it was really good that we woke him up, because if we had let him sleep and continued walking around the zoo, he might have become unconscious and gone into full blown heat stroke. He had symptoms of heat exhaustion but not full blown stroke.

And he had been fully hydrated that day before we went into the heat. And that was lucky too.

So when I read about this case, I really felt that the baby probably had heat exhaustion at some point early on. And her parents tried desperately to turn things around but they didn't have any of the most important tools to do so. And from then on it would just be like deadly dominoes...falling into place.

Wow. Thanks so much for contributing this event. It highlights for me how something like this can happen and how easy it is that a child can slip away without you knowing. Thank goodness for your medics.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

What if this was a power hike. Not a planned short hike, but a deliberate, very fast-paced long one? (I’m sure someone else here may have brought this up by now.)

“Sure, if you want to get faster, you have to run fast. But even power hiking on hilly terrain can help tap into some of the same strength-building effects of speed work on flat ground. And “stacking those workouts overtime gets you faster paces,” says Charboneau. “The key is you’re enjoying it the whole way, versus hating every second or feeling bad about yourself when you finish.”

Even if you’re just trying to enjoy yourself, don’t think of power hiking as going for a stroll. “It’s about moving forward with purpose,” says Nettik. “The faster you get your feet off the ground, the more quickly you’ll move.”


Walking Uphill | Power Hiking While Trail Running

When I googled the images of power hikers they’re almost all wearing shorts and short-sleeved tops & little gear.

ETA: JG carrying Miju and the gear and EC carrying nothing may have ‘evened’ the playing field. They’d keep at the same pace. (Still not advisable with all the other factors we know.)

 

[RickshawFan]

What if this was a power hike. Not a planned short hike, but a deliberate, very fast-paced long one? (I’m sure someone else here may have brought this up by now.)

“Sure, if you want to get faster, you have to run fast. But even power hiking on hilly terrain can help tap into some of the same strength-building effects of speed work on flat ground. And “stacking those workouts overtime gets you faster paces,” says Charboneau. “The key is you’re enjoying it the whole way, versus hating every second or feeling bad about yourself when you finish.”

Even if you’re just trying to enjoy yourself, don’t think of power hiking as going for a stroll. “It’s about moving forward with purpose,” says Nettik. “The faster you get your feet off the ground, the more quickly you’ll move.”
View attachment 319594

Walking Uphill | Power Hiking While Trail Running

When I googled the images of power hikers they’re almost all wearing shorts and short-sleeved tops & little gear.

ETA: JG carrying Miju and the gear and EC carrying nothing may have ‘evened’ the playing field. They’d keep at the same pace. (Still not advisable with all the other factors we know.)

Marketing photos and glossy shoots can be very misleading.
Kreychik may be your best comparator on trail running. He might have been wearing a singlet too?

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

What if this was a power hike. Not a planned short hike, but a deliberate, very fast-paced long one? (I’m sure someone else here may have brought this up by now.)

“Sure, if you want to get faster, you have to run fast. But even power hiking on hilly terrain can help tap into some of the same strength-building effects of speed work on flat ground. And “stacking those workouts overtime gets you faster paces,” says Charboneau. “The key is you’re enjoying it the whole way, versus hating every second or feeling bad about yourself when you finish.”

Even if you’re just trying to enjoy yourself, don’t think of power hiking as going for a stroll. “It’s about moving forward with purpose,” says Nettik. “The faster you get your feet off the ground, the more quickly you’ll move.”
View attachment 319594

Walking Uphill | Power Hiking While Trail Running

When I googled the images of power hikers they’re almost all wearing shorts and short-sleeved tops & little gear.

ETA: JG carrying Miju and the gear and EC carrying nothing may have ‘evened’ the playing field. They’d keep at the same pace. (Still not advisable with all the other factors we know.)

Very plausible, fits the facts well. Would be telling if evidence could be found of previous fast-paced power hikes. Your comment on the way they typically dress is right on.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

Heat was so obvious, it did seem strange it wasn’t mentioned at first. Determining heat as a cause is kind of a process of eliminating other causes, so I wonder if the sheriff was just trying to reassure the public how thorough they were being about investigating all possible causes, rather than implying an immediate assumption about it being heat-related. But yes, you’d think it would have been on the short list of causes he mentioned.

I noticed this from Chronicle report of the final press conference too:
"It appeared the new residents of the community in the rugged foothills of the Sierra underestimated the difficulty of the remote trail, the heat and the unforgiving terrain, Briese told a crowd of reporters in the chamber of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors... “This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather,” Briese said."
He's deflecting blame from the victims, which I thought might be his motive at the beginning for suggesting external causes like carbon monoxide and not the obvious extreme heat. MOO

 

[neesaki]

BBM
I don't understand with a few snacks and so woefully unprepared I'm baffled as to how this could be a day hike MOO.

It quite possible the waypoints were for a future hike, without baby and dog. As others have suggested, maybe Osaki was off leash and took off to the river. Do we know if they walked him off leash at all? I only ask because I keep my fur-baby on leash…., only because if he sees a squirrel, a rabbit, anything, he’s off like lightning. Aren’t there also bears and mountain lions in that area?

 

[wary]

It quite possible the waypoints were for a future hike, without baby and dog. As others have suggested, maybe Osaki was off leash and took off to the river. Do we know if they walked him off leash at all? I only ask because I keep my fur-baby on leash…., only because if he sees a squirrel, a rabbit, anything, he’s off like lightning. Aren’t there also bears and mountain lions in that area?

MOO

Ive read here that they did walk him off-leash, but I don’t know the source.

I wouldn’t do it, because I’d be very concerned that I wouldn’t have a way to drag my dog away from a rattlesnake.

all MOO

 

[RickshawFan]

It quite possible the waypoints were for a future hike, without baby and dog. As others have suggested, maybe Osaki was off leash and took off to the river. Do we know if they walked him off leash at all? I only ask because I keep my fur-baby on leash…., only because if he sees a squirrel, a rabbit, anything, he’s off like lightning. Aren’t there also bears and mountain lions in that area?

I don't hike with my dog off leash because he's run off before.... to a water source. That's why I'm projecting this is what happened in this case.

[There are many other reasons I don't hike with my dog off leash: most come under "Leave No Trace".]

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Marketing photos and glossy shoots can be very misleading.
Kreychik may be your best comparator on trail running. He might have been wearing a singlet too?

Shirtless, shirt was left in the car. He carried no phone and no water.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Very plausible, fits the facts well. Would be telling if evidence could be found of previous fast-paced power hikes. Your comment on the way they typically dress is right on.

Agree. My sense has always been that the details and the route were quite intentional. They overestimated the body's ability to discharge heat, human and canine.

 

[neesaki]

MOO

Ive read here that they did walk him off-leash, but I don’t know the source.

I wouldn’t do it, because I’d be very concerned that I wouldn’t have a way to drag my dog away from a rattlesnake.

all MOO

Same here re: snakes . My dog goes totally ballistic when he comes upon a turtle. And we have to watch for snakes in our yard as we live on the lake. My husband got bit just sitting out on our patio late one evening. Big copperhead slithered right under us before we even saw it. My husband yelled, raise your feet, that sob just bit me! Thank goodness our dog wasn’t out with us at the time.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

What if this was a power hike. Not a planned short hike, but a deliberate, very fast-paced long one? (I’m sure someone else here may have brought this up by now.)

“Sure, if you want to get faster, you have to run fast. But even power hiking on hilly terrain can help tap into some of the same strength-building effects of speed work on flat ground. And “stacking those workouts overtime gets you faster paces,” says Charboneau. “The key is you’re enjoying it the whole way, versus hating every second or feeling bad about yourself when you finish.”

Even if you’re just trying to enjoy yourself, don’t think of power hiking as going for a stroll. “It’s about moving forward with purpose,” says Nettik. “The faster you get your feet off the ground, the more quickly you’ll move.”
View attachment 319594

Walking Uphill | Power Hiking While Trail Running

When I googled the images of power hikers they’re almost all wearing shorts and short-sleeved tops & little gear.

ETA: JG carrying Miju and the gear and EC carrying nothing may have ‘evened’ the playing field. They’d keep at the same pace. (Still not advisable with all the other factors we know.)

That's an interesting suggestion. I did notice that at least one of JG's previous activities recorded at AllTrails was at a running pace (9:17 min/mile on April 24, 2021). But I didn't see any other evidence suggesting he was a regular trail runner.

There were also a couple of his AllTrails entries with an impossibly fast pace. Presumably they were recorded from a vehicle, so it's hard to draw any conclusions about what his regular practices were.

ETA I can't imagine trying to do anything approaching a running pace wearing the baby backpack carrier.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

If Philip Kreycik would run steep trails pushing his son in a stroller, then it seems very likely the GCs might power hike with a baby pack and dog. I think this is the first new idea that makes a lot of sense. The waypoints, packing light! Imagine believing you could move fast enough to beat the heat. That's the objective. If Miju fell asleep they might have been pleased. How long might Oski have kept the pace? Thank you, @Lexiintoronto and @Curious_in_NC ! I think you are nailing it.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

MOO

Ive read here that they did walk him off-leash, but I don’t know the source.

I wouldn’t do it, because I’d be very concerned that I wouldn’t have a way to drag my dog away from a rattlesnake.

all MOO

One or two of the first photos that I saw of the family showed Oski off-leash, but I just did a search for G-C and looked at images. He is leashed in 3 out of 4 of the outdoor photos where you'd expect him to be leashed, and shown wearing a flotation vest in a boat. There is also a photo of EC with him at about 6 months, indicating a long relationship. He looks very well-cared for and loved. Doesn't seem like people who are oblivious to the welfare of their dog would buy a flotation vest for him. If the sheriff mentioned a leash, one way or the other, I missed it. MOO

 

[starviego]

FINAL DETERMINATION | Mariposa Gazette
It wasn’t until the morning (of) Aug. 18, nearly three days after the family went missing, that the bodies were recovered from the scene by helicopter. That means decomposition became a factor, including with the dog.

Doubtlessly, three days of baking in the heat could have obscured many clues as to what killed them.

 

[aauummm]

FINAL DETERMINATION | Mariposa Gazette
It wasn’t until the morning Aug. 18, nearly three days after the family went missing, that the bodies were recovered from the scene by helicopter. That means decomposition became a factor, including with the dog.

Doubtlessly, three days of baking in the heat could have obscured many clues as to what killed them.

Just a clarification on when the bodies were recovered, this is a quote from the following source:
"Tuesday, August 17th, at 9:30am, Search and Rescue teams located Jonathan, Ellen, Miju and Oski approximately 1.6 miles from their vehicle on the Savage Lundy Trail deceased." I believe that the bodies were recovered the same day that they were located.
Update – Mariposa County Sheriff on Chung-Gerrish- Pathologist Report Probable Dehydration | Sierra News Online

 

[HannahJJJ]

Very plausible, fits the facts well. Would be telling if evidence could be found of previous fast-paced power hikes. Your comment on the way they typically dress is right on.

Also, more details of their hikes in general, specifically hikes in which the baby and/or dog were taken (easy, moderate, strenuous hikes, etc.). News articles provided statements from SJ, RH, and another person--at least one of these people saying they hiked most weekends. Imo/Moo none of these people appears to be a best buddy or close girlfriend of JG and EC respectively.

 

[Betty P]

Same here re: snakes . My dog goes totally ballistic when he comes upon a turtle. And we have to watch for snakes in our yard as we live on the lake. My husband got bit just sitting out on our patio late one evening. Big copperhead slithered right under us before we even saw it. My husband yelled, raise your feet, that sob just bit me! Thank goodness our dog wasn’t out with us at the time.

Yikes! Copperheads can be very aggressive. They have a venomous bite, I hope your husband is ok.

Re Gerrish and Chung, I feel terrible about their deaths, but feel worse that they took the baby along. That's not a good idea for those kinds of hikes, JMO.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

Just a clarification on when the bodies were recovered, this is a quote from the following source:
"Tuesday, August 17th, at 9:30am, Search and Rescue teams located Jonathan, Ellen, Miju and Oski approximately 1.6 miles from their vehicle on the Savage Lundy Trail deceased." I believe that the bodies were recovered the same day that they were located.
Update – Mariposa County Sheriff on Chung-Gerrish- Pathologist Report Probable Dehydration | Sierra News Online

No, two deputies spent Tuesday night guarding the scene, and the bodies were flown out Wednesday afternoon. "A Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office official stopped some media Wednesday afternoon along Hites Cove Road near the Hites Cove Helipad, past Apperson Mine Road, stating the scene ahead was closed. Search and rescue crews took the bodies of the Mariposa family out later that afternoon." Fresno Bee article.

 

[aauummm]

No, two deputies spent Tuesday night guarding the scene, and the bodies were flown out Wednesday afternoon. "A Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office official stopped some media Wednesday afternoon along Hites Cove Road near the Hites Cove Helipad, past Apperson Mine Road, stating the scene ahead was closed. Search and rescue crews took the bodies of the Mariposa family out later that afternoon." Fresno Bee article.

Ah, I recall that now that you remind me. Thanks for the correction!

I had been watching the Sheriff's video from the helicopter and the flyover video is dated Aug. 17, 2021 at about 3:30 PM. So that would mean that the bodies were still in place when the helicopter made it's flight and recorded the video. I have been searching the video as quite a bit of the Savage-Lundy Trail is shown.