In the United States, in a Californian forest, the bodies of a couple, their baby and their dog were found Monday, August 16. So far, no cause has been identified.
But what could have happened in this Sierra forest in northern California? Located not far from the famous Yosemite Park, it was the scene of a macabre and strange discovery on Monday August 16. John Gerrish, 45, his wife Ellen Chung, 31, their one-year-old daughter, Miju, and their pet were found dead, after the family’s nanny raised the alarm of their disappearance, s worrying to find their home unoccupied. Their bodies were found in an isolated area known as Devil’s Gulch (“Devil’s Gulch”).
On the spot, no trace of blows, bites or signs of poisoning or disease. So what did they die of? The autopsies carried out so far have yielded nothing.
“Not a single clue”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the father of the family was sitting next to his child and the dog, while the mother was a little higher up the hill. “ You arrive there and everyone is dead. There are no gunshot wounds, no medicine vial, not a single clue. It’s a great mystery ”, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told the newspaper.
The first hypotheses focused on a possible dehydration, because the temperature had risen to 43 ° C on Monday, August 16. This possibility seems unlikely, however, given that relief has found water in the couple’s belongings. Investigators are now seeking to determine whether the victims did not succumb to poisoning. Carbon monoxide escaping from a disused mine shaft or toxins released by “blue algae” growing in a nearby waterway could be the cause.
Since the drama, the California Water Authority has recommended keeping away from such algae and scum, as well as not allowing children or animals to touch the water in the Merced River Arm. .