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The Tragic Disappearance and Death of Actor Julian Sands
On January 13, 2023, British actor Julian Sands disappeared while hiking alone at Mount Baldy, Southern California. It was only after a long and thorough search operation of over five months that his body was found on June 24, 2023, which brought confirmation of his death.
Sands was a British actor who achieved great success with his roles in such films as A Room with a View, Warlock, and Arachnophobia. He had three children: Henry with his first wife, Sarah Sands, and Natalya and Imogen with his second wife, Evgenia Citkowitz.
Julian was missing from the moment he went for his hike to Mount Baldy which his wife Evgenia Citkowitz called his “favorite place” in Los Angeles. His brother Nick also shared this with the Craven Herald and Pioneer.
The story picks up on the circumstances of Julian Sands’ death and the family’s reaction to their loss in the hiking accident.
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When Did Julian Sands Die?
The precise date when Julian Sands passed away is still a mystery because it took a long time to find his body. The time of death was between January 13, 2023 (date of a missing person report) and June 24, 2023 (date when the remains were found). The authorities gave an official announcement regarding the death on June 27.
On January 18, 5 days after Sands vanished, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department posted a message on Facebook warning of dangerous conditions for hikers on Mount Baldy.
“Owing to the heavy winds, snow has frozen to ice, which has made walking very dangerous,” the post read. “Fourteen rescue missions have been called for by teams that have gone to Mt Baldy and the nearby areas. These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers.”
The department also warned that the weather and risk of avalanche were the main reasons why the rescues were very slow.
What Was Julian Sands’ Cause of Death?
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department revealed that the medical examiner determined the cause of death of Julian Sands to be “undetermined” in an official ruling. On July 24, 2023, the department stated to PEOPLE. The main reason for this classification was the condition of the body, as it was so decomposed that the officials had a hard time finding a single cause of death, the department explained. Besides, they further mentioned that this is standard practice for cases of this nature.
Moreover, the newspaper that the place where Sands’ corpse was found in Goode Canyon is indicative of a potential fall, nevertheless, the Los Angeles Times broke the story that he might have also been involved in an avalanche, gotten an injury, or just have lost his way.
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Where Was Julian Sands’ Body Found?
Bill Dwyer and some hikers were the ones who found Julian Sands’ body after it was missing for 2 years from a flat area on Mount Baldy called Goode Canyon.
The hikers first saw the boots, trekking poles, some clothes, and a wallet with a driver’s license before they found the body scattered next to these items of the person.
“It was like a dream,” Dwyer said to the Los Angeles Times.
Members of Sands’ search and rescue team had gone to the place after they got the signal of his cell phone near a ridge on the Baldy Bowl trail.
“If they had done that one more step down the trail, they might have encountered him,” search team member Donna Newlins said to the Los Angeles Times.
Why Was It So Long Before Julian Sands Was Found?
After the disappearance of Julian Sands was made public, the authorities decided to conduct eight rounds of aerial and ground searches combined. They have reserved 500 man-hours, and the total cost of resources was $100,000, according to the Los Angeles Times.
One of the major reasons that the rescue teams weren’t able to locate his body earlier was the perilous weather conditions that they had to face. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department says that the very last official search took place on June 17, 2023, and over 80 volunteers and staff participated in it. They were also equipped with two helicopters and drone squads for the operation.
On June 21, 2023, Sands family posted a statement through the X account of the Sheriff’s Department thanking the search teams: “We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian.”
A group of hikers found the body only three days after that.
Public Reaction to Julian Sands’ Death
Several people who were close to the actor expressed their appreciation for him publicly after he died even though his family kept the funeral plans a secret.
His wife, Sarah Sands, saw him in a very different light back in 2023 when she told the Daily Mail that he was a “restless” and “curious” person. . “He was an artist and an adventurer in both the literal and figurative sense of the word,” she added. “I really don’t think he was the kind of person who would have felt like a prisoner by any means; even if it was through sickness or old age.”
The actor’s manager, Sarah Jackson, made a comment to PEOPLE about the loss of a friend who was also a client. “He was not only an actor but a passionate climber. It’s very comforting for us to know that he passed away at the place that he loved and he was doing what he loved,” she said.
