‘No hard deadline’ for calling off the search for Julian Sands, authorities say

Authorities say there is still “no hard deadline” for calling off the search for Julian Sands, one week after the British actor was first reported missing in the southern Californian mountains.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation, though snow, sleet and fog continued to hinder operations on foot.

As of Thursday evening visibility at high altitudes in the Mount Baldy area remained poor, with searches planned to continue when conditions permitted.

“We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews,” a spokesperson from the department told the PA news agency.

The spokesperson added that there was “no hard deadline” for abandoning search efforts and “no date set”.

Earlier on Thursday, Sands’ family towed his car from a car park where it was discovered during the search.

Mount Baldy residents noted the “extreme” conditions but said they would not “rule anything out” in the mission to find Sands.

“Conditions can be extreme and even as a resident we don’t hike this time of year…it’s sketchy, it can be very dangerous,” Stephanie Coyne told PA on Mount Baldy.

“In prior years other people have gone missing and (people) get injured every year.”

Ms Coyne, who works at the Mount Baldy ski resort, said the adverse weather conditions were “typical” for the time of year.

“People have been found, it can happen. I wouldn’t rule anything out – the whole situation is just unfortunate,” she said.

Sands was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains the evening of January 13, with searches by local authorities continuing by “helicopter and drones when weather permits”.

Ms Coyne added there had been other instances of hikers suffering “falls” in the same area in past weeks.

Jaqueline Miller-Weaver, another resident, who works at the Mount Baldy sled shop, told PA: “It’s really rough…conditions are really bad.

“It’s really icy in some areas, even crampons wouldn’t help you,” she added.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department previously urged hikers to “think twice and heed warnings” following treacherous weather in the region, saying its search and rescue teams had responded to 14 calls on Mount Baldy and in the surrounding area over the last four weeks.

Yorkshire-born Sands is known for his breakout role as the free-spirited George in the period drama A Room With A View, in which he starred opposite Helena Bonham Carter, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.

He also featured in Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock, as well as appearing on television in 24, Smallville and Banshee.

More recently he played the chief medical officer in the 2021 Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi-led drama Benediction.

He has lived in Los Angeles since 2020.

From 1984 to 1987 Sands was married to future Evening Standard and Today editor, Sarah Sands, with whom he shares a son, while he also has two daughters with journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, whom he married in 1990.

It was one of the biggest news stories of our time - and it's still not over. So what did Boris Johnson know about Downing Street’s notorious parties? With fresh revelations from our Number 10 sources, in their own words, listen to the inside story...