LOS ANGELES — Actor Julian Sands has been missing for five days since he went hiking on Southern California's Mt. Baldy, officials said Wednesday.
Sands, 65, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area around 7:30 p.m. Friday, said Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities said in an update Thursday that phone pings on Sunday showed Sands was headed to the Mt. Baldy area. Rescuers searched a trail leading to the summit of Mt. Baldy after a delayed ping from his iPhone provided a possible location for him.
Ground and air searches were conducted but rescuers "were unable to locate any evidence in this area that would assist in locating Mr. Sands," the department said.
Additional phone pings from the cell provider were attempted but proved unsuccessful because of the lack of cell service in the area or Sands' phone not having any power.
The search for Sands, known in part for his role in "A Room with a View," was paused Saturday evening because of trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said search and rescue crews will continue to scan the area using a helicopter and drones when weather permits and will schedule another ground search when it's safe to do so.
The sheriff's department recommended people heed warnings and avoid the area, where high winds and ice have made for treacherous conditions.
"The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience," the department said in an advisory.
Search and rescue crews have launched 14 rescue missions for lost, stranded and injured hikers on the mountain and in the surrounding area over the last four weeks, the department said, and two hikers have died after having fallen and injured themselves.
Mt. Baldy is in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles.
Sands, an English-born actor, starred in the 1985 movie "A Room With a View" and other films, including "Warlock" (1989) and "Arachnophobia" (1990). He has also appeared in numerous other movies and television shows over the decades.