What happened to John Gerrish and Ellen Chung? California family mysteriously found dead near remote hiking trail

Avid hikers John Gerrish and Ellen Chung and their one-year-old daughter, Miju, were reportedly found dead along with their family dog near a hiking trail in Mariposa County on Tuesday, 17 August 2021.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office reportedly located the family vehicle near the gate of the Sierra National Forest and later discovered the bodies near the Devil’s Gulch area in Southfork on the Merced River.

According to a close friend, authorities went looking for John Gerrish and his family after they went missing on Monday night. No immediate cause of death was discovered at the scene. There were reportedly no signs of trauma on the bodies, and no suicide notes were found at the spot.

The mysterious death prompted authorities to declare the scene a hazmat situation. Officials reportedly found several abandoned gold mines near the hiking area but no poisonous gas or particles were recorded.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, Deputy Kristie Mitchell, reportedly told The Daily Mail that officials were speculating carbon monoxide as one of the potential causes of death:

“It could be a carbon monoxide situation. That’s one of the reasons why we’re treating it as a hazmat situation. There are several abandoned mines up in the area and in an abundance of caution or recovery team is taking precautions for any poisonous gases, particles in the area. So far, there has been no measurable poisons registered. It is a very bizarre situation.”

She further added that authorities are still unaware of the actual cause of death:

"Coming across a scene where everyone involved, including the family dog that is deceased, that is not a typical thing that we have seen or other agencies have seen. That is why we're treating it as a hazmat situation. We just don't know."

Following the tragic discovery, Sheriff Jeremy Briese added:

"This is never the outcome we want or the news we want to deliver, my heart breaks for their family. Our Sheriff's Chaplains and staff are working with their family and will continue to support them during this heartbreaking time.”

Meanwhile, officials also noted warnings related to toxic algae blooms near the area of the hiking trail. Therefore, environmental hazards are also being considered as one of the potential causes of death.

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Who were John Gerrish and Ellen Chung?

John Gerrish and Ellen Chung (Image via Instagram/echungster)

John Gerrish was an engineer from England and was associated with Google. His wife, Ellen Chung, was a yoga instructor from San Diego. The couple welcomed their daughter, Miju last year. They were reportedly passionate about outdoor adventures.

According to Your Central Valley, a friend close to the couple revealed that they owned several rental properties in Mariposa. The family of three reportedly lived in San Francisco after John Gerrish started working as a software engineer for Google.

They recently moved to Mariposa and enjoyed a healthy and happy family life. Unfortunately, John Gerrish and his family tragically fell to a mysterious death. The harrowing incident left the Mariposa community completely shocked.

Officials reportedly had to hike five miles into the Hite Cove to locate the dead family in an extremely remote area. Their bodies were discovered around 10:00 am on Tuesday morning with no signs of the cause of death.

John Gerrish and Ellen Chung were last seen on Sunday when they reportedly posted a picture of their backpack from the ill-fated hiking trip. Investigations are currently underway as the cause of their deaths are unknown.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office is reportedly working on the case alongside the California Department of Justice. The bodies were also sent to medical officers and set to undergo autopsies.

Meanwhile, authorities are also likely to conduct toxicology tests on the bodies. John Gerrish and his family's tragic demise is deeply mourned by close relatives and friends.

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