British actor Julian Sands has been missing for a week in the snowy California mountains, said the authorities, noting that the rescue operations have been hindered by weather conditions.
Sands, 65, known for his roles in “A Room with a View” and “Warlock”, went missing in the Baldy Bowl area, Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, told Agence France Press (AFP).
With an altitude of 3,068 meters, Mount San Antonio, known locally as Mount Baldy, is the highest peak in the San Gabriel mountains and a popular destination for fans of outdoor activities, but the storms that hit California recently with heavy rainfalls have made it treacherous.
The rescue teams started their search on Friday, but had to pause it on Saturday night fear of avalanches. “However, the search continues by helicopter and drones when the weather permits,” said Rodriguez.
“Additional ground searches will be scheduled when the weather improves, and it is safe for our rescue crews,” she added.
Sands, who was born in Yorkshire, in the north of England, is an experienced hiker.
In the early 1990s he hiked through the Andes mountain range, getting caught in a storm above 20,000 feet. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2020, described himself as happiest “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.”
Last week, San Bernardino Sheriff's Department warned people on Twitter from the extreme weather conditions, and urged them, even experienced hikers, to steer clear of Mount Baldy because of the stormy wind and ice. Rescue teams have undergone 12 rescue operations in that region in the recent weeks. At least two people are known to have perished, with one woman sliding up to 200 meters down an icy slope.
