For Immediate Release

Sergeant Moke Auwae

On the evening of December 9, 2018, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office was called to a suspicious circumstance on Highway 50 near Echo Summit.   A passerby found a bicycle and personal belongings alongside the road.   Responding deputies found footprints in the snow leading from the bicycle toward the edge of the cliff.  Fearing someone had fallen off the cliff, deputies conducted a search of the area.  The search began at darkness in freezing temperatures.  An El Dorado Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team used ropes to rappel down the cliff, but could not locate a victim.  A search by air was also conducted by CalStar 6 out of South Lake Tahoe, but again no one was located.  Due to conditions, the search was suspended at approximately 9:00 pm.  At 6:00 am on December 10, 2018, the search resumed as a combined effort between El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office personnel, Search and Rescue and California Highway Patrol’s helicopter crew (H20).  Ultimately, the search team located a deceased male at the bottom of the cliff.  The unidentified male had injuries that were consistent with a fall from the cliff.  Search and Rescue teams with the assistance of a CHP helicopter H20 were able to hoist the victim out.  The investigation is still in progress so no further details are available at this time.