The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to lead a desperate search for Zachary James Crehan, a 35-year-old man who went missing on January 5, 2024, near a hiking trail on Mount Wilson. Despite extensive efforts, Crehan remains missing, and authorities are increasingly concerned for his well-being.
Zachary Crehan, described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes, 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighing 190 pounds, was last seen at 4:49 p.m. near the Mount Wilson trail. The search has been extensive, involving the deployment of drones and helicopters, with the Montrose Search and Rescue Team playing a key role in the operations. Rescue teams have been scouring the area, but there have been no significant leads or results in finding him.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued a call to the public for assistance. Hikers in the vicinity of Mount Lowe and Mount Wilson are advised to be on the lookout for Crehan.
Anyone with information regarding Zachary Crehan’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the LASD’s Homicide Bureau’s Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500.
Tips can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
The case is particularly concerning as Zachary Crehan was not described as an avid hiker. His brother told that:
“I don’t think my brother was someone that would be able to get himself out of a mess up in the mountains,”. “He didn’t go there very often so I don’t know that he would be able to be prepared. And in fact, we know that he wasn’t prepared for it. He was in a short-sleeved shirt and I believe shorts.”
Authorities continue their efforts and urge anyone with any information, no matter how small, to come forward. The safety and well-being of Zachary Crehan are of paramount concern, and any assistance from the public could be crucial in aiding the search efforts.
We hope that the search will be successful. Unfortunately, many of the popular hiking trails can be dangerous for the inexperienced. For example, the Appalachian Trail is known for missing hikers, and some cases even ended as tragic.