Family dies in Mariposa county due to possible mineshaft gasses

firebird

Full Member
Oct 17, 2018
229
310
Central Valley California
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/19/us/yosemite-family-death-trnd/index.html

Be careful out there guys. I've prospected in that area before and I swear I could smell something unpleasant in the water in the creeks there like gas. Authorities are still unsure what killed the family, no obvious signs of death/wounds and best theory so far is either mineshaft gasses from the old mines in the area or algae bloom in the creeks.
 

Upvote 4

Back-of-the-boat

Gold Member
Apr 18, 2013
6,874
8,473
California
Detector(s) used
AT GOLD/Garrett /C.Scope cs4PI/Garrett(carrot) pro pointer/ 5x8 double d coil and sniper coil/Lesche digger/Lesche "T" handle shovel.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The Sierras have some areas of thermal activity and just the other side of the mountains down by Mammoth lakes there is an area of die off of trees that has been recorded and documented that it has increased in size so the possibility of some type of noxious gas is plausible we also had some earthquake activity recently. So maybe there is an open fissure somewhere nearby that is releasing gas fumes? Who knows but hopefully they find the cause or they will just close the area to the public and the "public" forest will no longer be public.
 

beekbuster

Hero Member
Jan 17, 2015
750
1,676
Detector(s) used
gpx 4500
gpz (died in a fire. rip)
Primary Interest:
Other
POSSIBLY carbon dioxide from an underground thermal vent. Been known to replace the oxygen in the air and kill everything within sight. Interesting to know if dead birds or animals were nearby.

the report stated no other dead animals around, but that was my suspicion. Heart breaking news
 

beekbuster

Hero Member
Jan 17, 2015
750
1,676
Detector(s) used
gpx 4500
gpz (died in a fire. rip)
Primary Interest:
Other
My guess is a gas eruption from the earth. Northern California has immense natural gas deposits. I know many places where there is continuous leaks, to the point you can light it and it will stay lit til you blow it out. Bermuda triangle is another example. sinks ships and planes. Either they got thirsty and drank poisonous water, which would be seen in the autopsy, and I would think be unlikely to kill them that fast, or it was a gas that suffocated them. Either way Terrible news, and way too close to home
 

SchoolOfHardRocks

Sr. Member
Apr 30, 2014
380
910
Gone, With the Wind
Primary Interest:
Other
There's a big mine just downstream that i have done a ton of reading on. Several stories of men dying from "bad air" in the mines, etc... There certainly are hazardous gases in the ground in the area, and the possibility that somehow the gas released & accumulated to the extent that it was harmful for human health. The toxicology results (yet to be completed) will hopefully provide further information.

For me this is a stark reminder of the risks we face when we wander these beautiful places.

I was at the Merced river, just downstream from where this happened a few weeks ago. Driving along the river on my way to my diggins I noticed an abnormally large amount of algae in the water. Still, due to the heat I swam to cool off throughout the day. Come to find out when i get home = toxic algae bloom :BangHead: Had an itchy back that day...and caught COVID shortly after...LOL geeeez.

Stay safe people. :icon_thumright:
 

Jim in Idaho

Silver Member
Jul 21, 2012
3,313
4,684
Blackfoot, Idaho
Detector(s) used
White's GM2, GM3, DFX, Coinmaster, TDI-SL, GM24K, Falcon MD20, old Garrett Masterhunter BFO
'Way Too Cool' dual 18 Watt UV light
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
It was announced today that the authorities closed the area. They stilll don't know what happened, but have mostly ruled out bad gas from a mine. Now looking at an algae bloom, and maybe they all drank bad water. It's possible the adults tried filtering the water. Hard to imagine that bad water could kill that quickly.
Jim
 

KANACKI

Bronze Member
Mar 1, 2015
1,445
5,926
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hola Amigos

Truly a terrible event amigos.

If it was noxious gas emission there would be other dead animals a well? If it was contaminated water the same with animals birds etc.. If the toxic mine gas emissions or river algae bloom was real why have no other hikers have perished?

The husband, wife, baby and Dog only dying sounds suspicious either all have eaten some thing or drank some thing?

Personally sadly I suspect a murder suicide? While the family appeared to be a happy healthy family but some times amigos what is shown on the outside is what not happening behind closed doors. Of course media make assumptions that it was evil mining industry as the culprit?

The great irony of it is they were a bright young family with bright future....

I think stress induced from the cult of global doom and gloom industry constantly pumped out by the media. has created an entire generation of neurotic young people thinking we are doomed and all going to die? The family was part of the generation that has the most extensive exposure to these toxic claims. On TV internet, radio, news even celebrity with no credibility have gotten on the act of peddling doom? Doom sells. Excessive exposure to such constant negativity can get too much for some people.

Kanacki
 

Crabs

Jr. Member
Nov 19, 2014
37
72
Folsom, California
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've read that the man was found sitting in the trail with the child and the dog was within reach.
The woman was found 20-30 feet or so ahead on the trail.

Whatever took their lives left no trace, no cuts, no gunshots, and left no apparent signs of distress on the bodies.
It had to be quick and reasonably painless with not causing much in the way of seizures, or it would have been noted by the officials investigating the scene.

The one thing that comes to mind is CO2, but where in the heck could enough come from to suffocate them?
Certainly not from blowing out of a nearby mine, as a slight breeze would dissipate the gas to non lethal levels.

A mystery for sure.

'Crabs
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,003
17,106
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hydrogen Sulfide is not odorless, it smells strongly like rotten eggs and is heavier than air.

That is correct. I work at a sewage treatment plant. In a strong concentration, however, H2S so quickly overwhelms your olfactory nerves that you do not detect any odor. That is why we use electronic gas detectors.

We have standing rules that all employees work in pairs, and if you see someone lying on the floor at any below-grade room (we go down 70 ft below the ground) you leave them untill you can get SCBA or, preferred, call the fire-department for a confined space rescue. If it is H2S they are likely dead, anyway.
 

eyemustdigtreasure

Silver Member
Mar 2, 2013
3,596
5,576
California
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug Pro
Tesoro Cibola
Nokta Pointer; Phillips SHS5200 phones
Nokta Macro SIMPLEX +
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hey, stuff falls into mine shafts....could have been an IMMIGRANT....!
 

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,250
6,701
St. Louis, missouri
I would expect the Medical examination from the County Coroner will show what happened . They also possibly ate something off the land that caused this ??
 

GoDeep

Bronze Member
Nov 12, 2016
2,120
4,515
Detector(s) used
Whites, Garrett, Minelab
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I read it reached 108 F that day. Weird though that the dog died, they usually can hold out a lot longer then humans without water.
 

Tesorodeoro

Bronze Member
Jan 21, 2018
1,221
1,906
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nobody else found it odd they were investigating rattlesnake bites as the cause of death?!!
Straight from the sheriff spokesperson. That sounds extremely outlandish.
 

GoDeep

Bronze Member
Nov 12, 2016
2,120
4,515
Detector(s) used
Whites, Garrett, Minelab
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It says they were avid hikers so no strangers to the outdoors.

Click to enlarge:
c1.jpg

c2.jpg

c3.jpg
 

augoldminer

Sr. Member
Jan 7, 2013
328
324
high desert goldfields
Detector(s) used
gold master V-sat
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Several stories of men dying from "bad air" in the mines, etc...

In years of working mines i have found three types of bad air in mines.
Hydrogen Sulfide from rotting vegtable mater
carbon dioxide from lack of ventalation. blasting
and low oxygen levels from lack of ventalation and fungus on timbers..
 

Tesorodeoro

Bronze Member
Jan 21, 2018
1,221
1,906
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In years of working mines i have found three types of bad air in mines.
Hydrogen Sulfide from rotting vegtable mater
carbon dioxide from lack of ventalation. blasting
and low oxygen levels from lack of ventalation and fungus on timbers..

They searched and there are no mines that were found in the area. Another possible cause of death in the news as absurd as rattlesnake bites.
 

chub

Bronze Member
Apr 23, 2017
1,503
2,242
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Minelab Soveriegn XS 2
Nokta pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
perhaps the whole family was watching CNN ?.....or perhaps the whole family was Taxed to death - both common causes of death in California these days. What is also strange is that every death since 2020 is caused by covid. There have been NO KNOWN deaths attributed to anything else but covid for 18 months. Covid cured all other diseases and causes of deaths.

chub
 

mytimetoshine

Bronze Member
Jun 23, 2013
1,574
3,370
El Dorado County
Detector(s) used
GRIZZLY GOLD TRAP - ANGUS MACKIRK EXPLORER- BLUE BOWL - GOLD CUBE, MINELAB PRO 25 PINPOINTER-
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
perhaps the whole family was watching CNN ?.....or perhaps the whole family was Taxed to death - both common causes of death in California these days. What is also strange is that every death since 2020 is caused by covid. There have been NO KNOWN deaths attributed to anything else but covid for 18 months. Covid cured all other diseases and causes of deaths.

chub
Lol. Sad but true!

I'm kinda leaning towards murder/suicide now as well.. he poisned everyone. I can't think of anything else that could have done it.

Maybe it was the new "quicky" variant of Covid" haha
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top