Human remains have been found in the Southern California area where British actor Julian Sands went missing five months ago, BBC reported.
In a statement, The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said that it had been contacted around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday by California hikers who had found human remains in the Mount Baldy wilderness, which is more than 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
The remains have been transported to the coroner's office for identification, the department said. The identification process is expected to take about a week.
Notably, the 65-year-old performer was reported missing by his wife on Friday evening, January 13, after he had gone hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Variety. The Baldy Bowl, about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles just below the Mount Baldy ski area, is a popular destination for skiers, climbers, and hikers.
A search was immediately launched in the area, but ground teams were pulled out a day later due to avalanche risks and poor trail conditions. A June 17 search for Sands, the eighth organized search since his disappearance, was also unsuccessful, authorities said.
“Despite the recent warmer weather, portions of the mountain remain inaccessible due to extreme alpine conditions. Multiple areas include steep terrain and ravines, which still have 10-plus feet of ice and snow,” San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said last week.
Last week, the Sands family shared a statement, expressing their gratitude for the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian. We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer," they said.
Born in England, Mr. Sands moved to California in the 1980s to pursue a Hollywood career after the success of the 1985 film ''A Room with a View,'' a period romance in which he was cast as the leading man opposite Helena Bonham Carter.
He also starred as the son of Satan in the 1989 supernatural thriller "Warlock" and its sequel "Warlock: The Armageddon." Other film credits include supporting roles in "The Killing Fields," "Arachnophobia" and "Leaving Las Vegas."
