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What We Don’t Know About Nature and Our Bodies Can Kill Us
Tragic lessons from the Chung-Gerrish family’s deaths in August 2021
Like everyone, I was shocked to learn of the tragic deaths of Ellen Chung, Jonathan Gerrish, their baby daughter Miju and their dog Oski in August 2021. The couple, along with their dog and baby, set off for a too-late-in-the-day hike from the Hite Cove trailhead in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Mariposa County.
This area is remote, and although outside of the western boundary of Yosemite National Park, is still in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
When Ellen, Jonathan, their baby and dog started on an easier (“moderate”) trail from the Hite Cove trailhead, it was about 75 degrees and shortly before 8:00 in the morning.
When they tried to send a series of text messages asking for help at about 12:09 p.m., they had already completed the easier section of the Hite Cove trail and had gone part of the way back toward their car on the Savage/Lundy trail. But that was as far as they were going to be able to go.
The initial “moderate” trail section that took them approximately two hours to complete had approximately 2,000 feet of elevation decline, ending at the Savage/Lundy trail, which was going to take them back to their vehicle … so…
