A search is underway for a hiker who has been missing for nearly a week in the wilderness near Lake Tahoe. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has asked for help in locating Jason Coughran, 60, who has not been seen since around 4:00 pm on May 25.
“The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office needs your help. Our staff are actively working a search and rescue in Desolation Wilderness with Search and Rescue staff. We are currently searching for an overdue subject, Jason Coughran,” a Facebook post read.
“Jason is described as a white male adult, he is 60 years old, 6’02” in height and 150 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes, and has an athletic build. He was hiking into Desolation Wilderness from Fallen Leaf Lake. He is believed to be wearing khaki shorts, but unknown clothing for certain. He was last heard from at approximately 4:00 pm on May 25th, 2026,” it added.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office urged anyone who was hiking in the area and came across Jason to contact the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office at: 530-621-6600 or 530-573-3051. It also warned that weather in high elevations can be unpredictable, and urged people to plan accordingly while stepping into the wilderness.
‘He walks at a high speed and would never be caught on the trails after dark’
Someone who appears to know Jason provided more insight in a comment in the post. The Facebook user wrote, “Jason is an avid hiker all over No Calif especially mountainous areas. He generally hikes solo. He walks at a high speed and would never be caught on the trails after dark. He is friendly and speaks with a British accent. He has hiked all over Yosemite and is accustomed to high altitudes. I cannot imagine what happened other than a fall on a downhill slope.”
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A Reddit user claimed that “100 trained professionals out there looking for Jason.” The post added, “As much as it pains me to say this, as I desperately want to be out there looking for him too- we help Jason by staying off the trails and letting the professionals collect the data they need to collect to determine where he may have gone. They have trackers looking for footprints, scent dogs- the less traffic these areas get, the higher likelihood we have of finding a clue as to where he may have gone.”
After Jason was last seen on Monday, the weather in the area shifted from calm to windy and cold, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
