Julian Sands – latest news: Another missing hiker found on Mt Baldy where actor disappeared

The San Bernardino County’s rescue team has located the second hiker who went missing on the mountain where Julian Sands disappeared.

A 75-year-old hiker named Jin Chung was located on Tuesday (24 January).

“Jin suffered some weather-related injuries and a leg injury but was able to walk out with the assistance of the crew members,” the official statement read. “He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No further information is currently available.”

In other news, Sands’ brother Nick has said that he knows “in my heart” that his sibling is no longer alive, as the search for the missing British actor entered its 11th day.

In comments to his local Yorkshire paper, the Craven Herald, Mr Sands said: “He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone. However sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong.”

Sands was reported missing on 13 January, sparking a major search and rescue effort led by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office.

The search effort was hampered by warnings of high winds near the San Gabriel Mountains, close to where Sands is believed to have gone missing.

Last week, Sands’ family released the last known images of him mountaineering, telling The Independent: “This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best – a heroic mountaineer.”

Key points

• Nick Sands: ‘I know in my heart that he has gone'

• Sands’ family issues statement thanking authorities for search effort

• Julian Sands: A timeline of missing actor’s disappearance

• Is the climate crisis behind a string of California hiker tragedies?

• The sheriff department’s update about the search

A missing hiker has been located on Mt Baldy

03:30 , Peony Hirwani

The San Bernardino County’s rescue team has located the second hiker who was missing on Mt Baldy.

A 75-year-old hiker named Jin Chung was located on Tuesday (24 January) by the search and rescue team, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs.

“Jin suffered some weather-related injuries and a leg injury but was able to walk out with the assistance of the crew members,” the statement read. “He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No further information is currently available.”

Watch: Who is the British actor missing in California?

03:00 , Bevan Hurley

Watch below for a short history of Julian Sands’ biography, career milestones, and the details surrounding his missing person’s case.

Julian Sands: Who is the Hollywood British actor missing in California?

Is the climate crisis behind a string of California hiker tragedies?

01:45 , Bevan Hurley

On a clear day, the peak of southern California’s 10,000ft Mount Baldy looms over the Los Angeles skyline.

The mountain is emblematic of a growing threat: the deadly impact of the climate crisis on one of America’s favourite pastimes, the great outdoors.

This month, as climate-amped superstorms battered California, first responders have carried out 14 rescue missions on Mount Baldy’s peak, the highest summit in the San Gabriel mountain range.

Two people have died and a third man, the British actor Julian Sands, is still missing after nearly a week.

The Independent’s Josh Marcus investigates the link between climbing accidents and climate.

Julian Sands is the latest hiker to go missing. Is climate change to blame?

‘It’s a tragedy for all of us’

00:45 , Bevan Hurley

The mountaineering community is in mourning as the prospects of finding missing Hollywood actor Julian Sands grow dimmer by the day.

“The climbing community kind of deals with this a lot, but it’s still a tragedy for all of us,” Gordon Janow, director of Alpine Ascents International, told The Independent.

Mr Janow said he would remember his friend of 20 years as a Renaissance man who was just as at home in the mountains as he was in front of the camera.

Climbing friends pays tribute to missing actor Julian Sands as search enters 12th day

Julian Sands’ brother says he knows ‘in his heart’ his brother is gone

Tuesday 24 January 2023 23:45 , Bevan Hurley

Julian Sands’ brother has revealed that he “knows in his heart” that his missing sibling is no longer alive.

Nick Sands, from Gargrave, Yorkshire, told the Craven Herald that he had accepted that the prospects of finding the Leaving Las Vegas actor 11 days after he went missing in treacherous conditions in a Californian mountain range alive had all but gone.

“He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone,” Nick Sands told the local news site.

“However, sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong.”

Julian Sands’ brother says he fears missing actor won’t be found

Julian Sands’ family thanks ‘heroic’ efforts of search and rescue teams

Tuesday 24 January 2023 22:45 , Bevan Hurley

On Monday, the Leaving Las Vegas star’s family thanked authorities for their “heroic” efforts in the search.

“Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,” the statement read.

Efforts to find second missing hiker boosts ground search for Sands, say rescuers

Tuesday 24 January 2023 21:50 , Andy Gregory

It has emerged that a second hiker has gone missing in the Mt Baldy area – which sheriffs say has allowed ground crews a renewed opportunity to search for Julian Sands.

Jin Chung, 75, from Los Angeles has been missing since Sunday after last being seen at around 6am in a carpool to Mount Baldy with two others, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said.

A search was conducted overnight but the hiker wasn’t found. The search for Jin Chung was set to carry on Tuesday but without the aid of helicopters because of warnings of strong winds.

The agency revealed that the ground search for the 75-year-old has allowed crews a renewed opportunity to search for Mr Sands.

Sands ‘always pleasant, upbeat and erudite’, says friend

Tuesday 24 January 2023 20:46 , Andy Gregory

Julian Sands is an “intellect in some ways and down to earth in others” and “always pleasant, upbeat, erudite, interesting to talk to,” a friend has told The Independent.

Gordon Janow, the director of Alpine Ascents International, who has known Sands for 20 years, said: “We discussed art, literature, travel, architecture. Our conversations spanned a lot of fields. He was very easy to talk to.”

As the search expanded, a team from Mr Janow’s mountaneering guide firm Alpine Ascents International were brought into help Sands’ family and officials to locate the 65-year-old.

Friends pay tribute to missing actor as search enters 12th day

Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:45 , Sam Rkaina

The mountaineering community is in mourning as the prospects of finding missing Hollywood actor Julian Sands grow dimmer by the day.

“The climbing community kind of deals with this a lot, but it’s still a tragedy for all of us,” Gordon Janow, director of Alpine Ascents International, told The Independent.

Mr Janow said he would remember his friend of 20 years as a Renaissance man who was just as at home in the mountains as he was in front of the screen.

Click here for the full story.

Another hiker disappears on mountain where Sands went missing

Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:12 , Sam Rkaina

Another hiker has disappeared on the mountain where actor Julian Sands went missing, the authorities have said.

Jin Chung, 75, from Los Angeles has been missing since Sunday after last being seen at around 6am in a carpool to Mount Baldy with two others, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department has said.

The group of three agreed to meet back at the car at around 2pm, but the 75-year-old never appeared.

Click here for the full story.

Julian Sands’ family are ‘frantic with worry’ after the British actor went missing

Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:00 , Andy Gregory

The search for Julian Sands is now in its 11th day, with his family issuing a statement on Monday thanking authorities for their “heroic” efforts.

“His family are frantic with worry,” a close friend told The Independent.

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

Sands’ brother Nick says he ‘knows in his heart’ sibling is no longer alive

Tuesday 24 January 2023 16:54 , Andy Gregory

A brother of Julian Sands has said that he “knows in his heart” that his sibling is no longer alive.

Nick Sands, who lives in Gargrave, Yorkshire, and last saw his brother in October, told the local Craven Herald newspaper: “He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone. However sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong.

“On Monday, he had planned to join his brothers for our Monday Club for a beer in Skipton; he will be missed, and I guess we will raise a glass to him.”

He added: “When in LA, the Mt Baldy mountain range was his favourite place, he would go there as often as he could, Julian liked to say ‘I have never had a holiday but I do rest occasionally’ – well he’s resting now in a place he would truly approve of.”

Video report: Who is the Hollywood British actor missing in California?

Tuesday 24 January 2023 13:09 , Peony Hirwani

Sheriff’s department now searching for two missing hikers on Mt Baldy

Tuesday 24 January 2023 12:19 , Peony Hirwani

On Sunday 22 January, personnel from Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and the Fontana Sheriff’s Station were requested to search for the missing hiker, Jin Chung.

Chung initially carpooled to Mt Baldy with two others but separated from them when they arrived, with an understanding they would meet back at the vehicle at 2 pm.

The other hikers returned safely but Chung has not been seen or heard from.

Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent to his grandson from snow-clad mountain peak

Tuesday 24 January 2023 11:29 , Peony Hirwani

The family of Julian Sands released the last known images of him mountaineering.

A family member told The Independent: “This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best – a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy to share with his beloved grandson, Billy.”

And a friend described him as “a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the freedom of mountains”.

Read more:

‘What he loved best’: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

At least 19 people killed in California storms

Tuesday 24 January 2023 10:49 , Peony Hirwani

California has been hit by a string of violent winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall, prompting power cuts and evacuations and leading to the deaths of at least 19 people.

According to the sheriff’s department, it has launched 14 search and rescue missions in the Mount Baldy area alone over the past month, with two hikers dying on the mountain.

In addition to Julian Sands, rescuers in Los Angeles county are also currently searching the San Gabriel range for missing 61-year-old hiker Robert Gregory.

Tuesday 24 January 2023 10:09 , Peony Hirwani

Air search continues for missing British actor in California.

Julian Sands: Air search continues for missing British actor in California

Frank Marshall sends wishes to Julian Sands’s family

Tuesday 24 January 2023 09:29 , Peony Hirwani

“Hope and thoughts going out to the family of my dear friend and wonderful actor, Julian Sands, who is missing on Mt Baldy. Let’s all pray for a miracle,” Frank Marshall wrote on Twitter.

Tuesday 24 January 2023 08:49 , Peony Hirwani

Actor Matthew Modine prays for Julian Sands’s safe return

Tuesday 24 January 2023 08:29 , Peony Hirwani

“Julian Sands is a wonderful man, husband, father, and friend to so so many. A gentle, kind soul. Keep candles burning for his safe return from the mountain he loves,” Matthew Modine wrote on Twitter.

Mount Baldy conditions ‘extremely dangerous’ since Sands went missing

Tuesday 24 January 2023 07:49 , Peony Hirwani

The conditions on Mount Baldy, where rescuers are searching for Julian Sands, are “adverse and extremely dangerous” and are not favourable even for highly experienced hikers, police warned this week.

“Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday.

“Sheriff’s Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.”

The sheriff department’s update about the search

Tuesday 24 January 2023 06:59 , Peony Hirwani

“As we enter day 11 of the search for Julian Sands on Mt Baldy, we are reminded of the sheer determination and selflessness of all of the people who have aided in this search,” the authority said.

“We will continue to utilise the resources available to us.”

Is the climate crisis behind a string of California hiker tragedies?

Tuesday 24 January 2023 06:19 , Peony Hirwani

Josh Marcus writes:

Julian Sands is the latest hiker to go missing. Is climate change to blame?

Sands’ family have shared a statement thanking authorities for the “heroic” search effort, which is still ongoing.

Tuesday 24 January 2023 05:30 , Peony Hirwani

“Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,” it read.

No fixed deadline for end of search, authorities say

Tuesday 24 January 2023 04:45 , Peony Hirwani

US authorities have said that there is still “no hard deadline” for calling off the search for Julian Sands.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department said that the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation.

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

British film producer Cassian Elewes shared a heartfelt message

Tuesday 24 January 2023 04:01 , Tom Murray

Elewes also shared a note about Sands on Twitter.

“I’ve known since Friday that my friend Julian Sands has been missing on mt baldy. I’m devastated. A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did. I’ve said many prayers,” he wrote.

Reverand Richard Coles called Sands ‘dazzling’

Tuesday 24 January 2023 03:00 , Tom Murray

“I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the 80s when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend,” Coles wrote on Twitter.

“He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry.”

Federal agencies have joined the search for Sands

Tuesday 24 January 2023 01:58 , Tom Murray

A reminder that both national and state officials are now working with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office to locate Sands.

“We are working with state and federal agencies that have cell phone forensics to assist us in pinpointing a location, but so far no new info has been developed,” The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office said in a statement shared Friday (20 January).

Read more:

Federal agencies join the search for missing British actor Julian Sands

Tuesday 24 January 2023 00:30 , Louis Chilton

Here’s a bit of a breakdown of Sands’ career and life, for anyone less familiar with his backstory.

An actor of talent and unusual range, Sands has appeared in more than 150 film and TV projects across his career.

Read more:

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

Monday 23 January 2023 23:30 , Louis Chilton

In relaying the family’s statement, the sheriff’s department also issued an update of its own.

“As we enter day 11 of the search for Julian Sands on Mt Baldy, we are reminded of the sheer determination & selflessness of all of the people who have aided in this search,” the authority said.

“We will continue to utilise the resources available to us.”

Monday 23 January 2023 22:30 , Louis Chilton

More details, including the family’s full statement, here:

Julian Sands’ family thanks authorities for ‘heroic’ efforts as search continues

Monday 23 January 2023 21:52 , Louis Chilton

Sands’ family have shared a statement thanking authorities for the “heroic” search effort, which is still ongoing.

“Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,” it read.

Monday 23 January 2023 20:56 , Louis Chilton

The Mount Baldy bowl area where Sands is believed to have been hiking has already prompted more than two dozen incidents of lost or injured hikers over the past month, according to authorities.

Two hikers have been killed in this time after falling and injuring themselves.

CBS News Los Angeles reported that one of these people, indentified as Crystal Paula Gonzalez, was an experienced hiker who previously climbed to the peak of Mount Whitney.

Monday 23 January 2023 20:00 , Louis Chilton

No real updates today, but a reminder of the most recent developments...

It was reported over the weekend that Sands’ phone pings appeared to show movement on the day he was reported missing.

Read more...

Julian Sands’ phone shows movement the day he was reported missing in California

Monday 23 January 2023 19:20 , Louis Chilton

ICYMI: The last pictures Julian Sands sent to his grandson, from atop a mountain peak.

The images show the missing actor climbing mountains in the Alps.

Read more...

‘What he loved best’: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

Monday 23 January 2023 18:40 , Louis Chilton

A bit more on the ongoing air search for Sands that is taking place in California...

Julian Sands: Air search continues for missing British actor in California

Monday 23 January 2023 18:00 , Louis Chilton

Touching anecdote about once meeting Sands shared by another mountain climber here.

“A beautiful soul.”

Monday 23 January 2023 17:23 , Louis Chilton

Actor and comedian Diedrich Bader shared this message about Sands on Twitter.

“ I hope Julian Sands is okay. I was remembering the sheer perfection of his gesture before it rains in A Room with a View.

“He taps his chest w open hands and raises his chin in joyful anticipation of the downpour. It was sensuous and ecstatic Byronic and simply beautifully alive.”

Monday 23 January 2023 16:40 , Louis Chilton

Is the climate crisis behind a string of California hiker tragedies?

Sobering report from Josh Marcus.

Julian Sands is the latest hiker to go missing. Is climate change to blame?

Monday 23 January 2023 16:00 , Louis Chilton

Another message hoping for the best, and paying tribute to Sands’ excellent work in Gothic, directed by Ken Russell.

“Casting was never wilder or more beautiful.”

Monday 23 January 2023 15:20 , Louis Chilton

Reminder that authorities have confirmed there is “no hard deadline” on the search for Sands.

It’s been 10 days since he went missing, with a search still ongoing.

Monday 23 January 2023 14:40 , Louis Chilton

Messages of support and hope continue to pour in on social media as the search for the missing actor drags on.

“Keep the candles burning.”

Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent to his grandson from snow-clad mountain peak

Monday 23 January 2023 13:57 , Peony Hirwani

ICYMI: The family of missing movie star Julian Sands say he was doing what he loved best when he vanished – as they released the last known images of him mountaineering.

With the hunt for the British actor in the California mountains entering its sixth day, poignant photographs that he sent to his grandson show him looking relaxed and happy while climbing well above the clouds.

Mr Sands, who starred in more than 150 films and television series including A Room with a View, sent the pictures of himself climbing the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps to his grandson last September.

Jane Dalton has this exclusive report:

Video report: Who is the Hollywood British actor missing in California?

Monday 23 January 2023 13:27 , Peony Hirwani

No fixed deadline for end of search, authorities say

Monday 23 January 2023 12:57 , Peony Hirwani

US authorities have said that there is still “no hard deadline” for calling off the search for Julian Sands.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department said that the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation.

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

Weather warning issued over gusts of up to 70mph

Monday 23 January 2023 12:38 , Roisin O'Connor

A weather warning of strong winds and gusts of up to 70mph has been issued, as the search for missing British actor Julian Sands enters its 10th day.

On Monday 23 January, the National Weather Service reported high winds affecting the Santa Ana mountain region and San Bernandino, close to the San Gabriel mountains where Sands is believed to have gone missing.

An alert warned of possible power outages, travel disruption and a risk of falling trees: “The strongest winds will be along the south-facing slopes and foothill areas, below the Morongo Pass, and through and below the Santa Ana Mountain canyons,” the report said.

At least 19 people killed in California storms

Monday 23 January 2023 12:17 , Peony Hirwani

California has been hit by a string of violent winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall, prompting power cuts and evacuations and leading to the deaths of at least 19 people.

According to the sheriff’s department, it has launched 14 search and rescue missions in the Mount Baldy area alone over the past month, with two hikers dying on the mountain.

In addition to Julian Sands, rescuers in Los Angeles county are also currently searching the San Gabriel range for missing 61-year-old hiker Robert Gregory.

‘Please let him be okay’: Friends fear for missing British actor Julian Sands

Monday 23 January 2023 11:37 , Peony Hirwani

Friends of Julian Sands said they hope he is found to be “OK” after the “awful news” the British actor was confirmed to be missing after a hiking trip in southern California.

The 65-year-old was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains on Friday evening, with searches by local authorities continuing over the weekend.

You can read a round-up of the messages here:

Mount Baldy conditions ‘extremely dangerous’ since Sands went missing

Monday 23 January 2023 10:57 , Peony Hirwani

The conditions on Mount Baldy, where rescuers are searching for Julian Sands, are “adverse and extremely dangerous” and are not favourable even for highly experienced hikers, police warned this week.

“Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday.

“Sheriff’s Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.”

Julian Sands: A timeline of missing actor’s disappearance

Monday 23 January 2023 10:27 , Peony Hirwani

Julian Sands, a prolific actor with more than 150 screen credits, has gone missing while hiking.

The British star is believed to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in California, which climbs 3,900 feet over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Search and rescue crews are looking for Sands, with the actor’s friends, including Matthew Modine, Rufus Sewell and film producer Frank Marshall, expressing hope that he is found safely.

Read more:

A timeline of missing actor Julian Sands’ disappearance

What is the temperature at Mount Baldy?

Monday 23 January 2023 08:45 , Nicole Vassell

Julian Sands is thought to have gone missing while scaling Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel mountains of California.

Currently, the weather is 3°C (38°F).

There is a high wind warning in place for Southwestern California, with official guidance reading: “Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.”

Fellow mountain climber shares tribute after bonding on Mount Kilimanjaro trip

Monday 23 January 2023 08:15 , Nicole Vassell

A mountain climber named Sarah Crosby has shared a tribute to Julian Sands, having met him during an excursion on Mount Kilimanjaro.

“Praying for Julian Sands, who we got to know on Mt. Kilimanjaro,” she wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening. “He regaled us with Shakespeare and Keats and was the first person to capture us as an engaged couple.

“He even carried a hunk of the mountain down to present to us. He is such a beautiful soul.”

Who is Julian Sands?

Monday 23 January 2023 07:45 , Nicole Vassell

As the search for Julian Sands continues in southern California, The Independent’s Louis Chilton has looked back on the actor’s life and prolific career so far.

Born in Otley, West Yorkshire in 1958, the actor began his career with supporting roles in projects such as 1984’s Oxford Blues and The Killing Fields, in which he played journalist Jon Swain.

In the years since, he has starred in many more films and won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in Leaving Las Vegas.

Read more below:

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California