As the search on Mt. Baldy for actor Julian Sands entered its 12th day, rescuers began to scale back their efforts, authorities have announced.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the search, said Wednesday it is continuing to look for the missing actor by using only air units, such as sheriff’s helicopters and drones.
Since Sands was reported missing on Jan. 13, the department had been scouring the Mt. Baldy area with both air and ground crews, though some ground missions were intermittently called off due to avalanche risks and dangerous trail conditions.
The department said air crews are using RECCO devices, a rescue technology that uses harmonic radar systems to detect clothing equipped with RECCO reflectors. The device is commonly used to find people buried by an avalanche or lost hikers.
No evidence of Sands’ whereabouts has been found throughout the search.
On Tuesday, rescuers found another hiker, 75-year-old Jin Chung of Los Angeles, who had gone missing on Mt. Baldy on Sunday. He was hospitalized for “weather-related injuries” and a leg injury.
Around the time Sands was reported missing, a flurry of storms had recently blanketed Mt. Baldy with snow. The icy conditions led officials to issue warnings to hikers of all skill levels. The peak is considered one of the most dangerous to climb in the United States.
Sands, 65, is known for his work in “A Room With a View” (1985), “Warlock” (1989) and dozens of other films and TV series, including “24” and “Dexter.” Born in the United Kingdom, Sands lives in North Hollywood and is an avid mountaineer, having climbed peaks in the Andes and Swiss Alps.
Amid a litany of hopeful messages for the missing actor from Hollywood figures, Sands’ family issued a statement on Monday, thanking the sheriff’s department and rescue crews for “braving conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home.”
“We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support,” the statement read.
Sands’ brother told BBC News this week that he has already said his goodbyes to Julian.
“I have come to terms with the fact he’s gone and for me that’s how I’ve dealt with it,” Nick Sands said in the BBC report published Wednesday. “We are all still hoping I guess, but I know he’s gone in my mind and because of that I’ve already said my goodbyes.”
