Authorities said any further ground searches for actor Julian Sands are on pause ahead of an incoming winter storm and continued aerial searches of the Mount Baldy area may also be affected by bad weather.
Sands, 65, was reported missing more than five weeks ago after setting out on a solo hike and failing to return Jan. 13.
On Feb. 18, more than 20 members of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Fontana Station and the West Valley Search and Rescue Team conducted a ground search ahead of this week's anticipated storm.
They focused on an area where the California Highway Patrol's RECCO device — rescue technology that detects reflective materials, electronic devices and in some cases, credit cards — picked up a hit from a possible electronic device on Jan 25. Nothing was discovered that would lead to finding Sands.
"The storm that is coming is going to impact our ground searches for sure," said Gloria Huerta, a spokesperson with the sheriff's department. "And it will affect our aviation, our aerial searches as well, because along with the storm comes the snow, the rain, the wind, and all those play factors in whether or not our aviation division can get up there."
Huerta said ground searches will resume after the storm has passed and if the conditions allow for safe hiking. She added that because Sands was an experienced hiker, they are not giving up on the idea that he's still alive.
San Bernardino County sheriff's officials initially had switched to an aerial search on Jan. 25, more than two weeks after Sands first went missing. At the time they said they hoped California Highway Patrol personnel would be able to use high-tech tools to pinpoint a location for additional ground searches.
Sands, whose family says is an experienced mountaineer, set out by himself to hike the Mount Baldy area.
Authorities this weekend reported that the body of another hiker who went missing the same day as Sands had been recovered near Mount Islip, another popular hiking destination in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Bob Gregory, 62 of Hawthorne, was reported missing on Jan. 13 — the same day as Sands — after he also left on a solo hike.
A third solo hiker reported missing around the same time was located alive with minor injuries in late January, and another man was rescued after falling more than 50 feet. He was able to call for help using a satellite device he was carrying.
And there have been two other deaths since late December, one on the day of Christmas Eve and the other Jan. 8, both women who slid on ice and fell to their deaths.
The department reports:
Both snow and high winds have made hiking potentially dangerous so far this year, with more rain and snow forecast for this week.
Some factors to keep in mind from LAist reporter Jill Replogle's recent report: Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now
- Conditions are legit dangerous right now.
- Southern California doesn't get high snow levels often enough for hikers to have the winter experience — and gear — they need to stay safe.
- Few, if any, companies and organizations in SoCal offer winter outdoor training.
- Close proximity to a massive urban area — and a usually warm one — can lead to overconfidence.
Always plan for the worst and hope for the best. Carrying a few extra items can save your life. At a minimum, always carry the "10 Essentials":
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