Found Deceased CA - British actor Julian Sands, 65, missing in Mount Baldy area, San Gabriel Mountains, last seen 13 Jan 2023

If JS had a PLB, he didn't send out an SOS: his partner did, when he didn't return. I would infer he had a fall that incapacitated him too severely to push the button. But we also don't know if he was carrying a PLB.
 
My rule of thumb: any time you go into the backcountry and the odds seem high that you might need a rescue, it's your obligation to turn back. SAR folks are mostly volunteers who have personal lives, careers, and families: IMO it's selfish to jeopardize their lives or give opportunity to injury. Better: not go at all. The mountain/trail/waterfall isn't going away: enjoy it another day.

Turning back short of your goal is one of the hardest things to do when you're on a trail or climbing a mountain. It is a significant indicator of experience if you are able to do so. It means you've assessed risk and judged the odds are not in your favor and/or might put others in danger. Many SAR call-outs are to rescue/recover folks who couldn't make the decision to turn back when survival was still possible.
 
The other issue with the weather on Mount Baldy…It’s very exposed, and the temperature is a freeze-thaw pattern. These are the conditions that make smooth ice on lakes and ponds in New England. It’s like glass.

Weather data with temperatures:
 
“A delayed ping through Sands’ Apple iPhone operating system (on Saturday) provided a possible location on one of the trails leading to the summit of Mount Baldy,” the sheriff’s office said. “This area was checked by ground searchers and by helicopter. Ground and air searchers were unable to locate any evidence in this area that would assist in locating (him).”

The last successful cell phone “ping” was Sunday.

with some video, including info about the mother of 4 who died.
JS must not have had an iphone 14. Otherwise, it would have called SOS via satellite. Under certain conditions (i.e. if it can “see a satellite”).

While I’m on this topic, Apple Watches have fall detection. It’s default for seniors; others have to turn it on. You don’t need to have cell service to your watch. Your phone just needs to be nearby. When you fall, the watch vibrates and gives two buttons: SOS or “Are you okay?”. Pick the right one. It uses your phone to dial if no response or you hit SOS. You talk to your watch.

I flopped on the floor to play with my dog, and I can guarantee “fall detection” works!

Anyway, if you go hiking in cell range, “fall detection” might save your life!

Alternatively, the iphone 14 has “crash detection”. SAR and LE are having problems with this feature because skiers have crashes of various kinds, go over bumps, etc.

Where am I going with this…

If JS had an iphone 14, I would imagine it would go off if he had a big fall. So maybe he didn’t fall. I can’t imagine he didn’t have the latest iphone… Or maybe the Ultra AppleWatch? Weird.

If LE got a delayed ping on Saturday or Sunday, it must mean cell service is spotty in the area where the phone is? It could also be buried in snow?
 
Last edited:
50 minutes ago

Police update: Sands is believed to have still been on the move on Sunday​


Sands appeared to be on the move two whole days after he was first reported missing.

A spokesperson for San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said: “On January 15, 2023, phone pings showed Sands to be heading to the Mount Baldy area.

“Additional phone pings from the cell provider were attempted but were unsuccessful, due to the lack of cell service and most likely cell phone power failure.”

 
Julian Sands’ name is still trending on Twitter this morning as fans hope he is found safe and well.
https://twitter.com/RevRichardColes...actor-hiking-filmography-latest-b2265801.html
I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the 80s when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend. He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry. I’m praying for his safe return.

Image

Sands shown mountaineering in pictures shared by family​

Images sent from Sands to his grandson Billy in September, which have been given exclusively to The Independent, show the father of three using climbing gear including ropes, wearing a helmet and with a rucksack strapped tightly to his back.

98a15004d57eb4b1783223f954cb4eb4

‘What he loved best’: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

 
Here’s reality on the ground. The interstate even has electronic signs not to go hiking.

 
50 minutes ago

Police update: Sands is believed to have still been on the move on Sunday​


Sands appeared to be on the move two whole days after he was first reported missing.

A spokesperson for San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said: “On January 15, 2023, phone pings showed Sands to be heading to the Mount Baldy area.

“Additional phone pings from the cell provider were attempted but were unsuccessful, due to the lack of cell service and most likely cell phone power failure.”

I’m not very attuned to cell phone technology, but I imagine you could get errant pings, especially if they’re not far away from each other, the service is spotty, and the weather is bad. It’s also possible, I suppose, that JS fell fatally in Mount Baldy bowl, just like Gonzalez-Landas, and because of conditions or terrain, continued to slide over the next days. In winter, the summit trail goes up the Baldy Bowl, basically a bare, bald, steep, exposed slope (totally iced over recently) for several thousand feet vertical.

Baldy Bowl:

 
I’m not very attuned to cell phone technology, but I imagine you could get errant pings, especially if they’re not far away from each other, the service is spotty, and the weather is bad. It’s also possible, I suppose, that JS fell fatally in Mount Baldy bowl, just like Gonzalez-Landas, and because of conditions or terrain, continued to slide over the next days. In winter, the summit trail goes up the Baldy Bowl, basically a bare, bald, steep, exposed slope (totally iced over recently) for several thousand feet vertical.

Baldy Bowl:

When I read this, I suspected it’s more likely the ping information is incorrect or the phone is moving by environmental conditions, like you said. Imo, much more likely than JS making a successful ascent Sunday in terribly icy conditions after an additional snowstorm. And he still has not contacted anyone for a week. There is a small possibility, imo, that he had trouble during the descent Sunday, but why would he be out of contact for 48 hours at that point? I think it’s most likely Friday 1/13 did not go well.

Imo (because it is alltrails.com reports and not official), but ice chunks falling from above were reported by those in the area. Although not confirmed by MSM, dangerous ice fall, along with icy trail, imo is why official searches are by air only. One errant chunk could knock you off the slippery, icy bowl and/or knock you out, even wearing a helmet.
 
When I read this, I suspected it’s more likely the ping information is incorrect or the phone is moving by environmental conditions, like you said. Imo, much more likely than JS making a successful ascent Sunday in terribly icy conditions after an additional snowstorm. And he still has not contacted anyone for a week. There is a small possibility, imo, that he had trouble during the descent Sunday, but why would he be out of contact for 48 hours at that point? I think it’s most likely Friday 1/13 did not go well.

Imo (because it is alltrails.com reports and not official), but ice chunks falling from above were reported by those in the area. Although not confirmed by MSM, dangerous ice fall, along with icy trail, imo is why official searches are by air only. One errant chunk could knock you off the slippery, icy bowl and/or knock you out, even wearing a helmet.
They have avalanche issues on Mount Baldy, too.
 
Let’s not forget this still-missing hiker:

Not forgotten!
 
Authorities in California have resumed the air search for British actor Julian Sands, who disappeared last Friday while hiking.

But the ground search for Mr Sands remains on pause due to poor road conditions.

The British Actor was last seen a week ago in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles.

Police said they had found his car near where he was reported missing.

Phone pings appeared to show he was on the move two days after he was reported missing, police have said.

"There has been no new update or witness information about his whereabouts since then," Gloria Huerta, Public Information Officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department told the BBC on Friday.

He was reported missing at about 19:30 local time on Friday 13 January.

"The air search is being resumed, but we have not been able to resume a ground search yet due to icy conditions and a threat of avalanches," said Ms Huerta.

 
The search for British actor Julian Sands continues nearly a week after he was reported missing while hiking in a treacherous area of California’s San Gabriel Mountains, where at least two other hikers have already perished this winter.

The search for the 65-year-old actor is currently being conducted “via helicopter only”, the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said Friday afternoon, because the risk of avalanches around Mt Baldy has continued to make on-the-ground rescue efforts too dangerous.

There is currently no timeline for ending the search for Sands, department spokesperson Gloria Huerta said on Friday.

[...]

Sands, an avid hiker and longtime resident of the Los Angeles area, was reported missing around 7.30pm last Friday. Pings from his cell phone logged in subsequent days only showed his movements on 13 January, the sheriff’s department said late Friday.

Initial ground and helicopter searches of one of his possible locations that day did not locate any evidence of Sands, the department said. Further analysis of Sands’ cell phone location data is ongoing, but, “Thus far, no workable leads have been developed”, the department said.

[...]

“Keep candles burning for his safe return from the mountain he loves,” actor Matthew Modine wrote on Twitter.

 
Just a thought, but are there any mountain lions in the hiking area?
Yes, there are.

"..many wildlife species also pass through the area, like black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, rainbow trout and mule deer."
 

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