Dominic Smithers
The hiker who discovered the body of Julian Sands has spoken out.
In June, the remains of the British actor were found in California’s San Gabriel Mountains.
Sands, 65, was reported missing earlier this year after he failed to return home from a hike. And despite a huge search and rescue operation, the authorities were unable to locate him.
In a statement at the time, police said the mission proved difficult due to ‘trail conditions and the risk of avalanche'.
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However, almost two months ago, a hiker stumbled across the actor's remains.
The confirmation announced at the time read: “The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood.
“The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results.”
Speaking about the find, hiker Bill Dwyer told the Los Angeles Times that he was shocked, describing it as 'surreal'.
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Prior to the discovery, Dwyer said he'd joked with his daughter earlier that day on Strava that they were looking 'for Julian Sands'.
But it was far from a joke, with Dwyer and his group finding the deceased actor during their 10-mile hike.
When they found Sands, the group saw that his boots had microspikes, which are metal spikes used for hiking.
However, these kinds of spikes aren't meant to be used for snowy terrain.
"I was a little shocked to see the microspikes," Dwyer said. "They were just the wrong tools for the job at hand."
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In a post ton his Strava account, Dwyer wrote: "Discovery and recovery of Julian Sands. Quite the day.
This comes after Sands' death was ruled as undetermined by the coroner.
Four weeks after his body was found and following the tests, an update was shared by a public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Speaking to People, the statement confirmed the cause of death on the actor’s death certificate.
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The cause of death was ruled ‘undetermined due to the condition of the body’, something that the police department said 'is common when dealing with cases of this type’.
Sands had previously spoken about his passion for mountain climbing, telling the Yorkshire Post: "And, you know what? Mountain climbing and film making are very connected.
"There’s always another mountain. And ultimately the point of climbing a mountain is that the mountain is within. And I think that’s true, too, of the acting experience."
He'd previously told The Guardian that he wanted to be remembered as ‘an interesting, amusing father by my children.’
Sands is known for his roles in 1989 film Warlock, Naked Lunch (1991) and Ocean's 13 (2007)