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The search for British actor Julian Sands, who went missing on a hiking trip last Friday, is continuing by helicopter as authorities track Sands’ phone pings towards Mount Baldy in southern California.
Federal and state agencies in the United States said yesterday they would join the search amid worsening weather conditions and avalanche risks which have halted the work of ground crews.
Phone signals two days after the Room with a View star, 65, was reported missing showed Sands around one of the trails leading to the summit of Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel mountains in southern California, police revealed.
The father-of-three, who is known for appearances in The Killing Fields, Arachnophobia, 24 and Smallville, was reported missing at around 7:30pm on Friday 13 January after failing to come back from a hike on Mount Baldy.
Julian Sands is pictured sitting on a peak of the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps
Sands, 65, was reported missing by his family after disappearing in the dangerous mountain range. He is pictured in a recent image released by his family to police to aid the search
The county sheriff’s department revealed that pings from the actor’s phone appeared to show he had been on the move heading further into the mountainous area of Baldy Bowl on the day he was reported missing, Friday 13 January .
Police also retrieved important phone data, showing that the West Yorkshire-born actor was still on the move on Sunday 15 January – but they have not been able to pick up any signal since due to his battery running low.
Last Thursday, Julian’s family towed his car from a car park where it was discovered during the search.
Ground and air searchers have so far been unable to locate any evidence to support with the investigation.
Adverse weather conditions also saw ground crews pulled off the mountain last Saturday evening.
The San Bernardino county sheriff’s department confirmed yesterday the current search is being conducted by helicopter only due to the risk of avalanche in the region.
Authorities have given ‘no time set’ for when ground searches will resume.
But department spokesperson Gloria Huerta added there was no timeline for ending the search at present, either.
The incident is still being classified as a search and rescue operation.
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Actor Julian Sands was reported missing on 13 January after failing to return from a hiking trip
Sands and Helena Bonham Carter on set for the award-winning 1985 film A Room With A View
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department previously warned hikers to ‘think twice and heed warnings’ as weather conditions in the area worsened.
The department reported its search and rescue teams had responded to 14 calls on and around Mount Baldy over the last four weeks.
Two hikers were reported to have died in the last four weeks amid worsening conditions.
Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother-of-four described as ‘the dancing hiking queen’, is understood to have slipped and plunged 700ft down the Baldy Bowl.
A helicopter was immediately dispatched, and soon found Gonzalez ‘down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,’ according to an incident report.
On 28 December, Jarret Choi, 43, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line.
He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions.
The region is home to some of the most popular trails in Los Angeles, California
Sands’ first major production was 1984’s The Killing Fields, the acclaimed historical drama about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (pictured alongside John Malkovich)
Julian’s son Henry – himself an experienced hiker – flew out to California last weekend and is assisting with the search of Mount Baldy.
Henry, 37, is understood to have retraced the route his father took – some 40-miles from Los Angeles – but was also forced to abandon his efforts due to poor weather.
A relative told MailOnline yesterday: ‘Henry has been in the U.S since the weekend and is helping the search. The problem is that the weather is hampering rescue efforts.
‘We are extremely worried but we’re hoping that Julian will be found safe and well. We’ll be looking to see how things evolve over the next few days.’
