Overview
- Jason Coughran, a 60‑year‑old experienced hiker, has been missing since Monday, May 25, when he was last heard from around 4:00 p.m. after leaving Fallen Leaf Lake toward Angora Peak.
- Nearly 200 searchers including local search‑and‑rescue teams, volunteers, and Air National Guard personnel have joined the operation with about 50 searchers left overnight in the field.
- Teams are using scent dogs, footprint trackers, drones and CH‑47 helicopter insertions to cover steep, rugged areas that are hard to reach on foot.
- Search efforts are complicated by the Desolation Wilderness’s remote, high‑elevation terrain and a shift to windy, cold weather after Coughran was last seen.
- Authorities have published Coughran’s physical description, asked anyone who hiked in the area to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and friends are sharing photos and device leads while urging people to avoid trails so investigators can preserve clues.