Julian Sands: helicopter search under way for missing actor - The Guardian US

The hunt for British histrion Julian Sands continues astir a week aft helium was reported missing portion hiking successful a treacherous country of California’s San Gabriel Mountains, wherever astatine slightest 2 different hikers person already perished this winter.

The hunt for the 65-year-old histrion is presently being conducted “via chopper only”, the San Bernardino region sheriff’s section said Friday afternoon, due to the fact that the hazard of avalanches astir Mt Baldy has continued to marque on-the-ground rescue efforts excessively dangerous.

There is presently nary timeline for ending the hunt for Sands, section spokesperson Gloria Huerta said connected Friday.

The Mt Baldy vessel country wherever Sands was hiking has been a deadly 1 this winter, with at slightest 2 hikers killed in the country aft falling and injuring themselves successful the past month, according to the sheriff’s department.

One of the 2 hikers who died, identified by section media arsenic Crystal Paula Gonzalez, was an experienced hiker, known to household and friends arsenic “the hiking queen,” CBS News Los Angeles reported. Authorities said that Gonzalez, who had antecedently summited Mt Whitney, 1 of the highest peaks successful the United States, slipped and fell much than 500ft portion hiking connected 8 January, and died of her injuries connected the mountain.

Search and rescue teams person responded to much than two twelve antithetic incidents of mislaid oregon injured hikers successful the Mt Baldy country implicit the past month, with authorities this week informing adjacent experienced hikers to enactment distant from the upland during “extremely dangerous” conditions.

Sands, an avid hiker and longtime nonmigratory of the Los Angeles area, was reported missing astir 7.30pm past Friday. Pings from his compartment telephone logged successful consequent days lone showed his movements connected 13 January, the sheriff’s section said precocious Friday.

Initial crushed and chopper searches of 1 of his imaginable locations that time did not find immoderate grounds of Sands, the section said. Further investigation of Sands’ compartment telephone determination information is ongoing, but, “Thus far, nary workable leads person been developed”, the section said.

At this point, determination is nary information that indicates Sands’ whereabouts aft Friday, the time helium was reported missing, Huerta said. His conveyance was located successful the Mt Baldy area, and has been towed by his family, she said.

“Additional aerial searches volition beryllium conducted,” the section said.

A presumption of Mt San Antonio, besides known arsenic Mt Baldy, successful the San Gabriel mountains adjacent Los Angeles. Photograph: Mark A Johnson/Alamy

As California has been buffeted by wintertime storms, upwind conditions successful the upland person inhibited attempts to assistance missing and injured hikers, including Sands. Rescue crews looking for Sands connected the crushed had to beryllium pulled disconnected the upland connected Saturday nighttime due to the fact that of the unsafe weather. Weather conditions besides inhibited the efforts to evacuate Gonzalez, the injured hiker, disconnected the upland to a hospital, a medic told CBS News Los Angeles. She near down 5 children, the quality outlet reported.

More than 21 radical person died crossed California successful the storms of the past fewer weeks, and others, including a five-year-old lad swept distant successful flood waters, stay missing.

Sands, who is known for his roles successful The Killing Fields, A Room with a View, and Naked Lunch, has lived successful the Los Angeles country for years with his wife, the writer Eugenia Citkowitz, with whom helium has a son. He besides has 2 daughters with erstwhile Evening Standard and BBC Radio 4 Today programme exertion Sarah Sands, to whom helium was joined from 1984 to 1987.

Other Hollywood actors, writers and producers, person posted their prayers for Sands and his household connected societal media, praising him arsenic an inspiration and a friend.

“Keep candles burning for his harmless instrumentality from the upland helium loves,” histrion Matthew Modine wrote connected Twitter.