Authorities confirmed that human remains have been found near the search area where British actor Julian Sands went missing during a hike in January.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dept. confirmed late on Saturday that civilian hikers discovered human remains in the Mt. Baldy wilderness earlier that day.
“Fontana Station deputies, along with the Sheriff’s Department’s Emergency Operations Division, responded to the scene,” sheriffs said in a news release. “The decedent was transported to the Coroner’s Office, pending positive identification. Identification should be completed next week at which time we will update this press release. No further details are available at this time.” The search for Sands, an experienced hiker, resumed on June 17 after five months. The Mt. Baldy area experienced extreme weather conditions this winter, delaying the possibility of a new search until a warmer climate made it safer for authorities.
Although California weather has been warmer in recent months, “multiple areas include steep terrain and ravines, which still have 10 plus feet of ice and snow,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dept. explained in an earlier release.
Over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies and staff conducted the June 17 search along with two helicopters and drone crews, according to authorities. Drones also searched inaccessible areas that ground crews couldn’t access. Sands, known for his roles in “A Room With a View” and “Warlock,” was reported missing Jan. 13. He had been hiking in the Baldy Bowl hiking area, approximately 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles. On Wednesday, his family released a statement via the sheriffs’ office, saying, “We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian.
“We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer,” the statement said.