EL DORADO COUNTY — Search and rescue crews in El Dorado County are actively searching for a missing hiker who was last heard from Monday afternoon in the Desolation Wilderness near Fallen Leaf Lake.
According to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, 60-year-old Jason Coughran was reported overdue after hiking into the Desolation Wilderness area. Authorities said he was last heard from at approximately 4 p.m. Monday, May 25.
Coughran is described as a white male standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds with brown hair, hazel eyes and an athletic build. Investigators believe he may have been wearing khaki shorts, though his exact clothing description remains unknown.
Search efforts are centered in the rugged backcountry near Fallen Leaf Lake and Angora Peak, west of South Lake Tahoe. El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue personnel are assisting in the ongoing operation.
Officials are asking anyone who may have been hiking in the area and encountered Coughran to immediately contact the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office at 530-621-6600 or 530-572-3051.
Authorities also reminded outdoor enthusiasts that weather conditions in the Sierra Nevada backcountry can change rapidly, especially at higher elevations, and urged hikers to prepare accordingly before entering wilderness areas.
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