Julian Sands missing: Actor ‘knows Mount Baldy backwards’ as phone pings reveal fresh details

The phone belonging to missing actor Julian Sands appears to show he was on the move heading into a mountainous area in southern California on the day he was reported missing.

The search has been ramped up of late as officials use mobile phone forensics to help pinpoint the location of the actor.

Sands, 65, was reported missing during a hiking trip in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains on Friday, as searches by local authorities continue by “helicopter and drones when weather permits”.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department previously said that phone pings showed the British actor to be heading to the Mount Baldy area two days after he was first reported missing.

Extreme winter weather is becoming more common in the Golden State, Josh Marcus reports.

In recent years, several experienced hikers have died due to Mount Baldy’s icy terrain. It’s considered one of the most dangerous peaks to climb in the US.

A reminder that the last known photos of Sands mountaineering were shared exclusively with The Independent. You can see them here:

In a statement shared exclusively with The Independent, a friend of Sands described him as “a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature”.

“Julian is wild and never contained by rules or boundaries,” they said.

“He is deeply inspired by the Romantic poets and his performances of their work are spellbinding and come from a passionate love of literature.

“He is a friend bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and living life to the full.

“He takes no prisoners and yet is as gentle and generous and sensitive as the poets he so admired.”

Sands’ three adult children have joined rescue teams in search of their father. Henry, 37, Sands’ eldest son – with whom he shares with his first wife Sarah Sands – is retracing the route his father took, with the assistance of an experienced climber.

The actor’s two daughters Natalya, 26, and Imogen, 23, with whom he shares with his wife Eugenia Citkowitz, have joined the ground search.

Federal and state agencies in the US have joined the search for Julian Sands, using mobile phone forensics to help pinpoint the location of the British actor.

Both national and state officials are now working with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office, one week on after the actor was first reported missing in the southern Californian mountains.

As of Friday, ground crews were still unable to continue their search efforts, due to evidence of avalanches in the area, and authorities said there was still “no time set” for when they would begin.

The involvement of federal and state agencies marks a step up in the search for Sands – which is to continue via helicopter only for now.

Read more about the actor himself here:

The Sherrif’s Department issued a warning on Facebook, which includes a list of precautions for hikers.

“Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt Baldy and in the surrounding area,” the post reads.

“These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves.

“Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous. 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 favourable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.”