Initial autopsy fails to reveal what killed a Northern California family and their dog on a hiking trail near Yosemite
The mystery surrounding the deaths of a couple, their baby daughter and the family dog found on a hiking trail near Yosemite National Park is deepening after autopsies yielded no immediate clues as to what caused their deaths.
The bodies of Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oksi, were found by search and rescue workers Tuesday in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest near the south fork of the Merced River, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office.
They had been reported missing on Monday night.
Investigators are still considering an array of possible causes, from toxic algae reported in the nearby Merced River, to noxious gases from abandoned mines near the trail, sheriff’s spokesperson Kristie Mitchell told CNN.