Julian Sands Confirmed Dead, Remains Identified 5 Months After Hike

The 65-year-old actor was reported missing Jan. 13 after going hiking on Mt. Baldy.

British actor Julian Sands has been confirmed dead after going missing more than five months ago.

On Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department revealed that the Coroner's Office had positively identified the human remains found on Southern California's Mount Baldy Saturday as 65-year-old Sands.

As for the manner of his death, that is still under investigation.

On Saturday, officials announced that hikers discovered human remains while hiking on Mount Baldy, the same mountain area Sands went missing on back in January.

The SBCSD announced that the remains were reported by hikers at about 10:00 a.m. Deputies responded and transported the victim's remains to the county coroner's office for identification.

Sands was reported missing on the night of Jan. 13 after trekking Mount Baldy, a popular hiking area located in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 50 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Born and raised in England, Sands had been living in the North Hollywood area of L.A. at the time of his disappearance.

After reports surfaced he'd gone missing, Sands' family released a statement thanking those taking part in the rescue efforts.

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

After listing the many groups and rescue teams actively scouring the mountain, the Sands family noted, "We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support."

Following months of searching with no success, sheriff's officials announced last week that they resumed the search for Sands on June 17, with over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies, and staff taking part.

An unseasonably cold winter in California made the mountain more treacherous, causing flooding and mudslides, and creating dangerous conditions in wilderness areas.

Two days after Sands went missing, a mother of four died after sliding more than 500 feet down Mt. Baldy. Later that same month, a 75-year-old man was found and rescued after going missing on Mt. Baldy for two days.  

Sands' career spanned five decades with the actor boasting dozens of film and television credits, including A Room with a ViewLeaving Las Vegas, The Killing Fields, Oceans Thirteen, and 24.

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