Five and a half months after he was cut off and declared missing, the remains of British actor Julian Sands have been found.
Julian Sands, Photo: AP
Sands, 65, was found Saturday in the mountains of North Los Angeles by hikers who toured the area and contacted the local sheriff's office. "Travelers contacted Fontana Sheriff's Station after discovering human remains in the wilderness of Mount Boldy," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said in a press statement.
After a series of tests on the recovered remains, officials from the local sheriff's office confirmed Tuesday that the identification process for the body found in the mountains has been completed and it has been identified as Sands's. "The circumstances of death are still under investigation and we are awaiting further test results. Thank you to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to locate him," they said.
Julian Sands, Photo: AP
Last January, Sands, who was an amateur mountaineer, went on a solo trip to Mount Boldy, which belongs to the San Gabriel mountain range and is considered a challenging and dangerous route. After five days of absence during which attempts to contact him were unsuccessful, search efforts were launched, which were halted due to extreme weather conditions in the area that endangered rescuers.
About a week ago, the search for him was renewed and included more than 80 search and rescue volunteers, police officers and crew members, assisted by two helicopters and drone crews, which again operated in particularly difficult terrain and weather conditions.
Julian Sands, Photo: Reuters
"We are grateful to the rescue teams who worked tirelessly to find Julian," his family said in a statement last week as search efforts resumed. "We continue to treasure Julian's memory in our hearts with memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, adventurer, lover of nature, art and an original performer."
Dexter - Trailer. Courtesy of YES
Sands has appeared in more than 150 series and films over the years, including "Love Memories of Florence", "Phantom of the Opera", "Ocean's 13", "24", "Dexter" and "Law & Order".
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