Julian Sands Final Cause of Death Is Undetermined Following Fatal Hiking Accident

Julian Sands’ final cause of death has been deemed undetermined six months after the British actor went missing in the San Gabriel Mountains of California.

The determination came nearly a month after his body was recovered from the Mount Baldy area and was made due to the condition of Sands’ body. No other factors were discovered during the coroner’s investigation, San Bernardino County Police Department public information officer Mara Rodriguez told The Hollywood Reporter. This kind of determination is “common when dealing with cases of this type,” added the spokesperson.

The A Room With a View actor was reported missing by his family on Jan. 13 after he went hiking in the Mount Baldy wilderness outside Los Angeles. The 65-year-old resident of North Hollywood had been reported missing around 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Baldy Bowl area of the mountains.

The search for the actor, which initially took place during a period of particularly treacherous hiking conditions due to the weather, included the use of helicopters and drones, along with the intermittent deployment of ground crews as weather and ground conditions permitted. In June, around a week before Sands was found, the San Bernardino police confirmed they had carried out eight searches with volunteer searchers putting in more than 500 hours. 

At that time, searchers were still facing “extreme alpine conditions,” with multiple areas including steep terrain and ravines that still had 10-plus feet of ice and snow.

Throughout the months-long search, Sands’ family repeatedly thanked the San Bernardino authorities for their continued efforts. They said in a statement a day before his remains were discovered, “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.”