The brother of Julian Sands has shared a heartbreaking admission as the hunt for his missing sibling continues.
Nick Sands says he knows "in my heart he has gone", over a week on from The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo actor last being seen before being reported missing.
An update shared by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday said "numerous” ground and air searches had previously taken place in lower areas, but no evidence of the actor’s location had been found – after federal agencies joined the hunt.
Julian, 65, was first reported missing on January 13 in the "extremely dangerous" Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains in California. His disappearance was revealed to the press five days later as celebrity pals prayed for their friend's safe return.
The dad-of-three's family released a statement on Tuesday, sharing their "heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department" as they continue their "heroic" search effort.
Julian brother Nick has spoken individually about his loved one's disappearance - sharing his fears Julian has passed away.
"He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone," Nick told the Craven Herald . "However sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong."
Nick, who is older than Julian, went on to discuss his little brother's love of hiking.
"When in LA, the Mt Baldy mountain range was his favourite place, he would go there as often as he could," he recalled. Julian liked to say ‘I have never had a holiday but I do rest occasionally’ - well he’s resting now in a place he would truly approve of."
Earlier this week, the actor's family has praised the “heroic” efforts of Californian authorities in their ongoing search.
In a statement, also shared by the sheriff’s department, 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 read.
“We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support.”
The family went on to list various organisations involved in the search, which included local and out-of-county forces, as well as specialised canine and cave teams.
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 be conducted by helicopter only. They had also used infrared devices in their hunt.
Federal agencies are now part of the efforts to find Sands, using mobile phone forensics to help pinpoint the actor’s location.
It was previously revealed that Julian's 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.
