Fake missing hiker report sent Grand Teton rangers on 532-hour search, officials say

A woman gave park rangers fake information during a missing hiker search — and it led to hundreds of wasted hours, Grand Teton National Park officials said.

Cian McLaughlin was last seen hiking in the Wyoming national park on June 8, 2021.

“It was believed that McLaughlin intended to go hiking earlier in the week and failed to show up at his place of employment on Thursday, June 10, and was reported missing late Saturday night, June 12,” park officials said at the time.

Park rangers quickly initiated a search for McLaughlin and asked for the public’s help.

A 40-year-old woman from Jackson told park officials she had talked to McLaughlin about where he lived and where he was from. She said they met near the Bradley-Taggart moraine, and McLaughlin was heading toward Taggart Lake.

Park officials, however, said none of that information was true.

“The subsequent investigation revealed (the woman) never saw anyone matching McLaughlin’s description on June 8, 2021, in Grand Teton National Park,” park rangers said in a June 9, 2022, news release. “Additionally, witnesses reported (she) fabricated the sighting to ensure search efforts continued.”

Other people who saw McLaughlin reported seeing him on a trail that led to Delta Lake among other places. Officials found that McLaughlin searched for information on Delta Lake before his hike, according to Grand Teton officials.

Park officials said they “wasted valuable time” following the woman’s report, which included spending 532 hours searching the area.

Grand Teton officials estimated the woman’s false report cost the federal government about $17,600, according to the National Park Service.

The woman was ordered to pay $17,600 in restitution and is banned from Grand Teton National Park for five years.

McLaughlin has been missing for one year as of June 8, according to the National Park Service. Search efforts to find him will continue this summer.

“Backcountry users in Grand Teton National Park are encouraged to contact the Tip Line (888-653-0009) if they locate any of the items that McLaughlin was suspected to have had with him at the time of his disappearance which include a red Apple watch, a red iPhone 12 mini, gold wire rimmed sunglasses, a silver U shaped pendant, and a white t-shirt,” officials said.

This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Fake missing hiker report sent Grand Teton rangers on 532-hour search, officials say."