Friends of the actor Julian Sands, who has been missing for nearly three weeks after vanishing in the San Gabriel Mountains in California, have shared their hopes and fears as searches continue.
Kevin Ryan, Sands’ hiking partner and fellow actor, met Sands in 2014 on the set of Crossbones. According to Ryan, Sands was the most experienced hiker he knew and would not have gone unprepared.
He stated, “He is incredibly knowledgeable, and I’m hoping he’s tucked away somewhere and can survive.”
Ryan stated that Julian would have viewed the bad weather as a challenge.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that “each passing day increases the pressure and, I suppose, introduces a great deal of doubt.”
Family and friends have expressed anxiety to the media over the past three days, as search parties have reported minimal progress.
Nick, the brother of Sands, stated, “He is currently missing.” Although he has not yet been declared deceased, I know in my heart that he has passed away.
In 2014, actor and friend Kevin Ryan (shown in 2018) met Sands on the set of Crossbones.
65-year-old actor Julian Sands was an enthusiastic San Gabriel Mountains mountaineer.
His favorite destination in Los Angeles was the Mount Baldy range, according to Sands’ brother. He went there as frequently as possible.
Julian used to say, “I’ve never had a vacation, but I do take a break from time to time.”
Well, he is now resting at a location that he would approve of.
Sands is the most accomplished hiker I know; he is really knowledgeable.
The father of three, known for his roles in The Killing Fields, Arachnophobia, 24 and Smallville, was reported missing at approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 13 after failing to return after a trip on Mount Baldy.
On the day he was reported missing, the county sheriff’s office disclosed that pings from the actor’s phone looked to indicate he was moving deeper into the Baldy Bowl mountainous region.
Police also acquired crucial phone data indicating that the West Yorkshire-born actor was still on the move on January 15; however, they have been unable to obtain a signal since his battery ran out.
As ground teams were recalled, adverse weather conditions in the area hindered the pace of the search.
Last week, aerial searches resumed as conditions improved.
Julian Sands (R) and his wife Evgenia Citkowitz attend an HBO screening of “Witch Hunt.”
Sands and Helena Bonham Carter on the set of the 1985 Oscar-nominated film A Room With a View
The Killing Fields, an acclaimed historical drama about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, was Sands’s first significant film, released in 1984. (pictured alongside John Malkovich)
Authorities stated that there was no firm timetable for calling off the search, but were delayed until the week beginning January 23 due to high winds.
Two weeks following his disappearance, his brother Nick told the reporters, ‘I’m the most optimistic guy in the world, and at first I assumed he must have hunkered down in a cave to avoid the rain; that he’d emerge when the weather improved.
He is an enthusiastic, seasoned hiker who took risks. This has always been his nature.
He is an enthusiastic, seasoned hiker. On Friday, January 13, he started out with his ice axe, crampons, and a day’s worth of food. He was expecting to return home that night.
He added: ‘He took chances. He has always been this way: wild, extreme, and daring, with no regard for norms or limits. He is happiest near a mountain peak on a chilly morning.
As the hunt entered its third week, Sands’ family praised the efforts of the Californian authorities in a public statement.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement: ‘Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, including the courageous search teams listed below who are enduring difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home.’
It stated, “We are deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support.”
Julian Sands is married to writer Eugenia Citkowitz and has three children.
His wife reported him missing on January 13 after he failed to return from his trip.
As weather conditions in the area deteriorated, the Sheriff’s Department has earlier advised hikers to ‘think twice and follow warnings.’
Later in January, a second hiker, Jin Chung, 75, went missing on Mount Baldy.
Chung went on a solo hike on one of the difficult paths at 6 a.m. and was unable to meet his carpool companions at the vehicle at 2 p.m.
Police stated that the hunt would continue.