A family of three, including a young infant, that died of heat exhaustion during a hike in Northern California’s Sierra National Forest last summer sent a text pleading for help, authorities disclosed Thursday.
According to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, father Jonathan Gerrish sent a text to an undisclosed party asking “Can you help us” and “No water [over]heating with baby.” But bad cell reception in the area kept the message from transmitting to its intended recipient.
Five attempted phone calls to various contacts also failed to go through, investigators said.
Ellen Chung, 31, her 45-year-old husband, their daughter Miju Chung-gerrish, 1, and their dog, Oski, were found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River in August.
The case had investigators baffled — more than 30 law enforcement agencies examined and rule out numerous theories, from murder, to algae poisoning, to toxic gas leaks.
In the fall, authorities concluded the family had died of extreme heat exposure, resulting in heat stroke. Temperatures in the vicinity reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit, and the family had depleted their water supply. A recent wildfire had burned away most of the shade coverage.
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