Family Of Three Tried To Send Out Text ‘Can You Help Us’ Before Dying On Hiking Trail

Authorities say the Gerrish family of three tried to send out a text asking for help, but unfortunately, it didn’t send.

Ellen Chung, 31, Jonathan Gerrish, 45, their daughter Miju, 1, and their dog Oski were found dead on a hiking trail in the Sierra National Forest last summer.

The family departed for the hike on Aug. 15. That same day, Gerrish tried to send a message that read, “can you help us,” Mariposa County authorities shared.

“On savage lundy trail heading back to Hites cove trail. No water or ver (over) heating with baby,” the text read.

But because of the lack of cell service in the area, the message was never received, PEOPLE reported.

A lengthy investigation led to the discovery that they died from hyperthermia and possible dehydration, as well as the dog who suffered a heat-related death.

Authorities worked with the FBI to obtain the data from Gerrish’s phone, and that’s when they saw his last unsent messages.

“Using the information extracted from the phone we were able to re-create the path and timeline based on the GPS locations,” they posted on Facebook. “The details found on the phone support the findings of a heat-related incident.”

The authorities shared that he also tried to make five phone calls to multiple numbers, but not 911. Due to the bad reception, those calls did not go out.

The first call was made at 12:09 p.m., and the next four were made within seconds of each other, with the last one going out at 12:36 p.m.  

“The cell phone data results were the last thing both the family and detectives were waiting on,” Sheriff Jeremy Briese said in a statement.

“I am very proud of my team and our partner agencies for all the work they put in. Their dedication has allowed us to close this case and answer lingering questions the family had, bringing them a little peace,” he added.

According to investigative reports, the day the family went on the hike, the temperature was 76 degrees but then peaked at 109. A survival expert reportedly concluded that heat and the terrain on the trail were what led to their deaths — with their daughter’s health likely the first to deteriorate.

“Sadly, I believe they were caught off guard, and once they realized their situation, they died trying to save their child and each other,” the survival trainer said in an email to detectives.

The bodies of the family were discovered in the morning hours of Aug. 17, one day after their babysitter reported them missing.