San Francisco Family Found Dead in Sierra Foothills, Possible Victims of Toxic Algae

[iemanja]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Investigators are considering whether toxic algae blooms or other hazards may have contributed to the deaths of a Northern California couple, their baby and the family dog on a remote hiking trail, authorities said.

The area in the Sierra National Forest where the bodies were found on Tuesday had been treated as a hazmat site after concerns were raised about the deaths being linked to potentially toxic gases from old mines nearby.

But the hazmat declaration was lifted Wednesday, and Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said he didn’t believe the mines were a factor, the Fresno Bee reported Thursday.

“This is a very unusual, unique situation,” said Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. “There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. There was no suicide note.”

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/08/20/sierra-natl-forest-toxic-algae-bloom-death-san-francisco-family/

Toxic Algae?! Has anyone ever heard of people dying from algae?

[a kennedy]

1. Read about this and it just broke my heart......dad, mom, baby, and their doggie.... 😢 😢 😢

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. Just says they're considering it ... seems unlikely to me as well ...

https://www.cdc.gov/habs/be-aware-habs.html

[EndlessWire]

3. What could get all of them?

Had to have been a pocket of bad air, something they all breathed. Else why hasn't autopsy given a clue? Tragic.

[jmowreader]

4. Actually...yes, people have died from algae

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4344628/

[Zeitghost]

5. Highly Unlikey

I've hiked and backpacked in that location numerous times. That location is along the Merced River and there is little to no standing water. I don't think the CO theory is likely either. It's a wide open river valley and they were not in or near the mouth of a mine.

This one is really baffling.