Cal OES Joins Search for Missing Hiker in Desolation Wilderness

DESOLATION WILDERNESS — Authorities are continuing an active search for Jason Coughran, a 60-year-old hiker who entered Desolation Wilderness from Fallen Leaf Lake near South Lake Tahoe and has not been seen since May 25. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reports that Coughran was last heard from around 4 PM that Monday. He was believed to be near Angora Peak at 11 AM on May 25.

Coughran stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds with an athletic build, brown hair, and hazel eyes. He may have worn khaki shorts and a long-sleeve white-and-blue shirt. The area lies within the rugged Desolation Wilderness, a 64,000-acre protected zone of granite peaks and alpine lakes in Eldorado National Forest west of Lake Tahoe. Hikers often access the region from trailheads like those near Fallen Leaf Lake, but high-elevation weather can shift quickly.

Search teams from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and local search-and-rescue groups began efforts shortly after Coughran was reported overdue. Crews deployed ground teams, K9 units, and helicopters from El Dorado County’s Echo One and Washoe County in Nevada. Air operations faced grounding due to an incoming storm front and changing conditions. Ground searches continued into the evening hours.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced today that it is now coordinating with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office on the ongoing mission. Officials urge anyone who may have encountered Coughran to contact the sheriff’s office at 530-621-6600 or 530-573-3051.