What happened to this California family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An 8 mile high takes all day long. They were carrying the weight of the baby, and the weight of the packs with heavy water, with sun beating down on their heads with no shade and hot rocks reflecting heat back. If you don't wear a hat and stay hydrated, it's stressful on the heart and you pretty much fry.

They started out in the morning but may have stayed by the river for hours until the temperature was better. They intended to be home by Monday morning. They might have planned to return in the evening. They weren't found until Tuesday.

I recently took an 8 mile, very steep and technical, hike and it took me 7 hours. This was in mid-80’s weather, with tons of shade, water, food, hat, and sunglasses. Took a lot of breaks including in cool, in contaminated water. No baby and dog to carry.

That's about right. We took an 8 mile hike that was probably 7.5 hours.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone figured out what the 8.5 mile loop was? I can’t find on the trail maps how the Savage Lundy trail connects to a longer loop.

Here’s why I’m wondering: Setting off on that kind of hike, with a dog and a baby, in that kind of heat, really does seem like madness. But I wonder if they knew about the lack of shade?? When I look up that trail, all I find (this story aside) are posts and descriptions from before the 2018 fire. Pictures show lots of trees. If they took a different route down to the river, they may not have realized how exposed the steep uphill section would be until they got there, at which point their only options were to do it anyway, or backtrack asking what would presumably be a much longer route the way they came in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get this "what mother would leave her baby" thing UNLESS the dad was the threat. I am a mom and if I were in trouble I'd absolutely trust my husband with the kids if for some reason we thought I had to be the one to get help.

If your husband and dog were keeling over from heat stroke, your instinct would be to try to get your baby out of there as quickly as possible, not leave her in the blazing sun for hours longer waiting for rescue.

Assuming you weren't suffering from delirium.

And assuming the baby didn’t perish before either parent.

Yes, all of these things. I was responding to the person who said they dont understand why everyone is saying the mom would definitely take the baby. I couldn't leave my baby out in the hot sun to die, even if I knew it was folly to try to get her out. Just like a burning building; I think I would still try to go back in there for my kids even if it was futile.

Maybe if my H and the baby were in the shade and I thought she might be ok for a little while longer? it's all awful to consider.

Yeah, I think "leaving my baby in the hot sun to die" is making assumptions about the mom's thought processes and mental capacity that we do not have the knowledge to make.

[Anonymous]

The baby and dog were with the last standing parent. She wouldn't leave her baby with an ailing dad. You might leave the dog to guard the sick person, but you wouldn't leave the baby. You also can't hike carrying a baby on your hip. You can easily trip and drop it. A man might carry a baby on his shoulders but that's not very wise because you could lose your grip with sweaty hands. You have to put it in the carrier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The baby and dog were with the last standing parent. She wouldn't leave her baby with an ailing dad. You might leave the dog to guard the sick person, but you wouldn't leave the baby. You also can't hike carrying a baby on your hip. You can easily trip and drop it. A man might carry a baby on his shoulders but that's not very wise because you could lose your grip with sweaty hands. You have to put it in the carrier.

Maybe the baby and dad were still alive when she tried to get to the car, and she thought it better to go unburdened. I don't know what I would do in that scenario, but I trust my husband with my children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get this "what mother would leave her baby" thing UNLESS the dad was the threat. I am a mom and if I were in trouble I'd absolutely trust my husband with the kids if for some reason we thought I had to be the one to get help.

If your husband and dog were keeling over from heat stroke, your instinct would be to try to get your baby out of there as quickly as possible, not leave her in the blazing sun for hours longer waiting for rescue.

Assuming you weren't suffering from delirium.

And assuming the baby didn’t perish before either parent.

Yes, all of these things. I was responding to the person who said they dont understand why everyone is saying the mom would definitely take the baby. I couldn't leave my baby out in the hot sun to die, even if I knew it was folly to try to get her out. Just like a burning building; I think I would still try to go back in there for my kids even if it was futile.

Maybe if my H and the baby were in the shade and I thought she might be ok for a little while longer? it's all awful to consider.

Yeah, I think "leaving my baby in the hot sun to die" is making assumptions about the mom's thought processes and mental capacity that we do not have the knowledge to make.

It's all speculation and assumptions. I find it hard to believe that both parents got so overcome by heat at the exact same time that neither could come up with a workable rescue plan, but here we are.

[Anonymous]

I bet they waded or swam in the river. Poison.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/calif-family-death-sierra-yosemite-chemical-16414838.php

[Anonymous]

All of these scenarios are just awful to consider. I did read online that perhaps they went to splash in the water and that was enough to affect them. Then they tried to hike back out, but the toxins plus heat was too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The baby and dog were with the last standing parent. She wouldn't leave her baby with an ailing dad. You might leave the dog to guard the sick person, but you wouldn't leave the baby. You also can't hike carrying a baby on your hip. You can easily trip and drop it. A man might carry a baby on his shoulders but that's not very wise because you could lose your grip with sweaty hands. You have to put it in the carrier.

Maybe the baby and dad were still alive when she tried to get to the car, and she thought it better to go unburdened. I don't know what I would do in that scenario, but I trust my husband with my children.

It's not about trusting the husband! It's about recognizing that a tiny human life is not sustainable in that heat and trying to save your child if your spouse is stroking out.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been following this thread with interest since the beginning but may have to bow out. It’s all just so horrible. If this is what happened (dad unable to push on - whether heat stroke or toxic algae or aliens or whatever - and then mom trying to save them all on her own) they were truly in an impossible situation. You can’t leave the infant behind with her incapacitated dad. You’re too weak to carry the baby out and uphill yourself. You can’t sit down next to them and do nothing. Just awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The baby and dog were with the last standing parent. She wouldn't leave her baby with an ailing dad. You might leave the dog to guard the sick person, but you wouldn't leave the baby. You also can't hike carrying a baby on your hip. You can easily trip and drop it. A man might carry a baby on his shoulders but that's not very wise because you could lose your grip with sweaty hands. You have to put it in the carrier.

Maybe the baby and dad were still alive when she tried to get to the car, and she thought it better to go unburdened. I don't know what I would do in that scenario, but I trust my husband with my children.

It's not about trusting the husband! It's about recognizing that a tiny human life is not sustainable in that heat and trying to save your child if your spouse is stroking out.

No, you don't understand. These posters will gain super mom powers when they pick up the baby. Powers that will enable them to sprint 1.5 miles to the car while carrying a 20lb baby. After spending at least 2 hours in the sun and already walked 6.5 miles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been following this thread with interest since the beginning but may have to bow out. It’s all just so horrible. If this is what happened (dad unable to push on - whether heat stroke or toxic algae or aliens or whatever - and then mom trying to save them all on her own) they were truly in an impossible situation. You can’t leave the infant behind with her incapacitated dad. You’re too weak to carry the baby out and uphill yourself. You can’t sit down next to them and do nothing. Just awful.

That's what you have to do. You need to sit down. You need to cool off. Continuing to exert yourself isn't going to do anything but make you hotter. You aren't going to "gut it out."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been following this thread with interest since the beginning but may have to bow out. It’s all just so horrible. If this is what happened (dad unable to push on - whether heat stroke or toxic algae or aliens or whatever - and then mom trying to save them all on her own) they were truly in an impossible situation. You can’t leave the infant behind with her incapacitated dad. You’re too weak to carry the baby out and uphill yourself. You can’t sit down next to them and do nothing. Just awful.

Same here. I am way too invested. I think somehow imagining that it was some kind of impossible situation is harder for me to contemplate than FA. Both possibilities are horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been following this thread with interest since the beginning but may have to bow out. It’s all just so horrible. If this is what happened (dad unable to push on - whether heat stroke or toxic algae or aliens or whatever - and then mom trying to save them all on her own) they were truly in an impossible situation. You can’t leave the infant behind with her incapacitated dad. You’re too weak to carry the baby out and uphill yourself. You can’t sit down next to them and do nothing. Just awful.

I think the experts were considering CO or the toxic algae because it seemed quick to them, not a slower death from the heat. I think whatever it was that happened to the family, it was quick.

[Anonymous]

After a brief flirtation with FA, I am now on board with heat exhaustion with possibly some additional element we don't know. I can see the deaths happening within a short time period, like just a few hours. It really is horrible. They were a beautiful family.