British actor and ‘A Room with a View’ star Julian Sands has been named as one of two hikers missing in California’s San Gabriel Mountains.
Sands, 65, was last seen in the Mount Baldy area on Friday evening and his family has heard from him since.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, “the weather on the mountain has been difficult” and air resources are limited, ABC 7 reported.
Sands is known for his roles in several films, including the 1985 feature “A Room with a View”, “Warlock” and “Leaving Las Vegas”.
It is unclear why Sands was in the area and whether he had hiked alone or with another person.
British actor and ‘A Room with a View’ star Julian Sands, 65, has been named as one of two hikers missing in California’s San Gabriel Mountains. He is pictured here in 2020
In an Instagram post, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said winter weather on Mount Baldy can create “hazardous conditions” and urged hikers to think twice before traversing the area.
Julian Sands, father of three, has been married twice.
His first marriage, from 1984 to 1987, was to journalist Sarah Sands, who later edited publications such as the Sunday Telegraph and London’s Evening Standard, as well as BBC Radio 4’s influential Today programme. The couple have a son, Henry.
The actor also has two daughters with journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, whom he married in 1990.
Meanwhile, a separate search is underway for another hiker, Bob Gregory of Hawthorne in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.
Gregory’s family told the outlet that he went missing on Monday and that they were “distraught” and “fear he may have injured himself and fallen.”
His relative added that police were in the process of locating his mobile phone, while search teams searched the area on the ground and from the air on Tuesday.
Efforts by air crews were limited on Wednesday due to icy conditions in the difficult terrain of the range which is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County.
In an Instagram post, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said winter weather on Mount Baldy can create “hazardous conditions” and urged hikers to think twice before traversing the area.
Over the past four weeks, department search and rescue teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on and around Mount Baldy.
The sheriff’s department said most rescue missions involved “lost, stranded and/or injured hikers.”
Sands is known for his roles in several films, including the 1985 feature “A Room with a View”, “Warlock” and “Leaving Las Vegas”.
Treacherous conditions in the San Bernardino Mountains meant search and rescue efforts were ‘hindered by bad weather’ as well as the likelihood of ‘dangerous avalanche conditions’
“Unfortunately, in the past four weeks, two hikers have not survived after falling and sustaining injuries,” they said.
“Please know that the current conditions on Mount Baldy are unfavorable and extremely dangerous.
“Due to the strong winds, the snow has turned to ice, which makes hiking extremely dangerous.”
The dangerous conditions mean that search and rescue efforts have been “hindered by bad weather” and the likelihood of “dangerous avalanche conditions”.
“Recent storms that brought snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those who feel they have a high level of experience,” authorities said.
The sheriff’s department has urged visitors to follow simple tips to stay safe.
These include: following all posted warning signs, reviewing the weather conditions (current and forecast) for the area, ensuring you have the correct equipment, training and being properly prepared for alpine conditions (crampons , ice axe, appropriate clothing), take a hiking partner, take a tracking or GPS device such as a SPOT device or INREACH device, ensure all cell phones are fully charged and bring an extra power pack loaded for this one.
They also told visitors to let someone know where and when they are going, what time they will be back, and “above all” not to go if there is any hesitation on the ground.
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