The family of Julian Sands have praised the “heroic” efforts of Californian authorities conducting the search for the missing British actor.
A statement shared via the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office on Monday thanked various organisations involved in efforts to find the 65-year-old, as search operations entered their 11th day.
Sands, star of several Oscar-nominated films including A Room With a View, was reported missing on January 13 on a trail in the Southern California mountains, where he had been hiking.
As we enter day 11 of the search for Julian Sands on Mt. Baldy, we are reminded of the sheer determination & selflessness of all of the people who have aided in this search. We will continue to utilize the resources available to us. The family would like to share this statement: pic.twitter.com/owO2o97f16
— San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) January 23, 2023
In their statement released on Monday, his family said they were “deeply touched” by the support they had received in the days since his disappearance.
“Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,” the statement said.
“We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support.”
In a message sharing the statement, the sheriff’s department added: “As we enter day 11 of the search for Julian Sands on Mt. Baldy, we are reminded of the sheer determination & selflessness of all of the people who have aided in this search.
“We will continue to utilize the resources available to us.”
It comes after federal agencies joined efforts to find Sands, using mobile phone forensics in an effort to pinpoint the actor’s location.
Last week, ground crews were unable to continue their search efforts due to evidence of avalanches in the area, leading authorities to temporarily continue their operation via helicopter only.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department told the PA news agency that conditions were still too dangerous for ground crews to operate, and that searches would continue to be conducted by air.
It was previously revealed that pings from Sands’ phone appeared to show he had been on the move heading further into the mountainous area of Baldy Bowl on the day he was reported missing.
The department also previously said there was still “no hard deadline” and “no date set” for calling off their efforts – and the incident is still being classified as a search and rescue operation.
