I'm betting it was the sudden appearance of a bubble of CO2, maybe belched up from a mine.
I'm betting it was the sudden appearance of a bubble of CO2, maybe belched up from a mine.
At this point, after extensive reading on the subject, I tend to agree.Originally Posted by goamules
A rural country like that doesn't even have the means to sleuth anything exotic. And the FBI probably won't step in to help unless there is reason to suspect foul play. But there is simply no way to entirely that out unless some other alternate explanation is distinctly identified. I don't know about right now, but that's been a narco country for several decades, with all kinds of meth freaks and wackos around, meth labs too. Who knows? The most infamous serial killer of the hills was once operating just up the road from there.
Or it's the gas emissions from rotting algae - which can be significant enough to have near immediate knock-down effects and kill large mammals - obviously the specific algae in question is different - but with the heat levels described, it's not out of the question that fairly intense decomposition happened.
No mines nearby, no volcanic lakes, popular trail with no incidents before. It's largely metamorphic rock in the area, with some ancient basalt mixed in, graduating into granitic terrain higher up. I've spent my whole life in similar canyons further south - never ever anything like those kinds of rumors, not even among the Indians. If someone enters and old mine with a carbon monoxide issue, they don't walk back out and keep hiking. And my nephew and his family who live not far away have hiked the specific area in question routinely. Chasing up the wrong tree. If it was a poisoning, they should be looking elsewhere. The river fork in question would have been just a moderate stream that time of year, especially in this severe drought year - not some big lake with tons of rotting algae. Besides, all of them being found reasonable close together, including the dog, on a hillside way above the river itself, and not near any known mine etc pretty much rules out any sudden "knockdown" theory. The actual spot was Devils Gulch, not Hite Cove further down. That's why it took awhile to find them. Lots of old dirt ranch roads through there, not just the trails.
Law enforcement are "investigating possible lightning strikes in the area" at the time of the deaths, the Times reported.
I find it telling that authorities are investigating lightning strikes in the area at the time of their hike – a sign of how baffled they must be in advance of the pending toxicology reports. I understand that death by lightning often leaves no sign of external injuries, such as burns. Mostly it’s trauma to the brain and the rest of the nervous system. I think the toxicology report should see signs of this type of internal trauma.
I also noticed that water samples, taken from sources near the deceased family after they were found, have just recently returned “extremely high” toxins from algae. And two days ago, I think in response to these results, the Merced River was closed-off between Briceburg and Bagby, including hiking trails and water access. That’s a long stretch, about 30 miles.
Why reports don’t speculate about the quality of the plentiful water in their hydration packs is a mystery to me and maybe to other readers. Also whether a water filter was found in their gear; the filter (which I don't think would eliminate the toxins) might be inspected. Do reporters not know basic questions to ask for their readers?
Here's a photo of the doomed couple, with a background of warm, still water that might haunt the image for some:
At least they died together very quickly
They look like happy people
RIP
I find it telling that authorities are investigating lightning strikes in the area at the time of their hike – a sign of how baffled they must be in advance of the pending toxicology reports. I understand that death by lightning often leaves no sign of external injuries, such as burns. Mostly it’s trauma to the brain and the rest of the nervous system. I think the toxicology report should see signs of this type of internal trauma.
I also noticed that water samples, taken from sources near the deceased family after they were found, have just recently returned “extremely high” toxins from algae. And two days ago, I think in response to these results, the Merced River was closed-off between Briceburg and Bagby, including hiking trails and water access. That’s a long stretch, about 30 miles.
Why reports don’t speculate about the quality of the plentiful water in their hydration packs is a mystery to me and maybe to other readers. Also whether a water filter was found in their gear; the filter (which I don't think would eliminate the toxins) might be inspected. Do reporters not know basic questions to ask for their readers?
Here's a photo of the doomed couple, with a background of warm, still water that might haunt the image for some:
Tin Can
Lightning strike - another ludicrous hypothesis - a relatively low elevation in a canyon at a time with apparently no obvious storm in sight. Lightning strikes DO leave distinct physical evidence and occur in a fairly predictable manner in the mountains. I've watched hundreds of storms up close, sometimes real close, and have also seen what happens to actual victims (usually either linesmen whose career is to repair power lines in or after storms, or someone foolish in the high country). Gosh the stories I could tell - some amusing, some tragic. There would also be distinct evidence on the ground, like almost inevitably a fire in those extremely dry conditions. They were on the side of the hill, not the top of it; and the wife was at a reasonable distance; and none with burn evidence?? No cooked innards detected in the autopsy? Reporters? - sound like the same urbanite kind that think coyotes eat people. Law enforcement throwing out random wild theories? That's called buying time until something credible comes up. Tick tock, tick tock. Did they even track their exact route to the spot - whether up the creek or using the trail over the top reverse direction, and not even reaching the creek? So many questions.
If it were a toxic gas "bubble" or such, the wildlife would be killed, right?
I don't think toxic gas discriminates between humans, domestic animals(the dog) and wildlife, and those hills are loaded with critters.
Just thinking out loud.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
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