Julian Sands: A timeline of the actor’s disappearance on a California mountain
Actor Julian Sands has been the subject of an ongoing mountain search since January.
Known for his performances in films like “A Room with a View,’ “Ocean’s Thirteen” and “The Killing Fields,” as well as television shows “24” and “Smallville,” Sands disappeared while hiking near Los Angeles.
Sands loved hiking, especially in the area he was last seen, according to his family.
“When in LA, the Mt Baldy mountain range was his favourite place, he would go there as often as he could,” his brother told UK publication the Craven Herald & Pioneer. “Julian liked to say ‘I have never had a holiday but I do rest occasionally’ – well he’s resting now in a place he would truly approve of.”
Last week, human remains were found in the area where Sands had been and authorities are working to make an identification.
“We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer,” his family said in a statement to The Guardian after the discovery.
Below is a timeline of the search for Sands.
January 13
Sands is reported missing at 7:30pm on January 13 after he failed to return from a hike in the Mt. Baldy area, Gloria Huerta, a spokesperson with the department, tells CNN.
Investigators traced pings from his cell phone to Mt. Baldy, located in the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County.
January 18
Search and rescue crews looking for Sands face severe weather and an avalanche threat, hindering search efforts, authorities say.
Officials continue to use drones to search for Sands, but are limited with other resources due to the weather on Mt. Baldy.
January 23
As the search for Sands enters 11 days, the San Bernardino County Sheriff shares a statement from his family.
“Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,” the statement reads.
His family said they were “deeply touched” by the support they had received in the days since his disappearance.
January 26
Nick Sands, the older brother of Julian Sands, tells a UK publication he knows “in my heart that he has gone” as California authorities continue to search for the actor.
“He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone,” Nick Sands said. “However sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong.”
June 17
Officials announce “continued ongoing search efforts in the Mount Baldy wilderness for missing hiker Julian Sands. Unfortunately, Mr. Sands was not located.”
Over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies and staff participate in the search efforts, supported by two helicopters and drone crews as volunteers search in “remote areas across Mount Baldy,” according to officials.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department shares videos of the helicopters and air support participating in the search on their Twitter page.
Officials say that “despite the recent warmer weather, portions of the mountain remain inaccessible due to extreme alpine conditions,” and that multiple search areas include steep terrain covered in “10 plus feet of ice and snow.”
June 24
Human remains are discovered near the area where investigators have been searching for Sands, according to authorities.
“Civilian hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff’s Station after they discovered human remains in the Mt. Baldy wilderness,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Investigators say positive identification of the remains should be completed next week.
The-CNN-Wire
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