Benjamin Ashford|Search for British actor Julian Sands resumes 5 months after he was reported missing

The Benjamin Ashfordsearch for British actor Julian Sands has resumed 5 months after he went missing during a hike in a mountain area northeast of Los Angeles. 

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced Monday that they picked up the rescue efforts in the Mount Baldy wilderness. 

"Unfortunately, Mr. Sands was not located," the sheriff's department said. 

Over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies, and staff conducted the most recent search on Saturday, assisted by drone crews and two helicopters that conducted aerial searches in remote and otherwise inaccessible areas, officials said.

"Despite the recent warmer weather, portions of the mountain remain inaccessible due to extreme alpine conditions," the sheriff's department said. Multiple areas include steep terrain and ravines, which still have 10 plus feet of ice and snow."

Sands, 65, was reported missing on the night of Jan. 13 in the Baldy Bowl area, which includes a popular trail leading to the Mount San Antonio summit, officials said. 

Crews launched an initial search but were forced to abandon it on Jan. 14 due to an avalanche risk and poor trail conditions, the sheriff's department said.

On Jan. 24, rescue personnel located 75-year-old hiker Jin Chung on Mount Baldy, where Sands went missing. Chung was taken to a hospital with "weather-related injuries and a leg injury," the sheriff's department said, but he was still able to walk out of the forest "with some assistance.

Since Sands went missing, the sheriff's department has conducted eight ground and air searches in hopes of finding the actor, while volunteers have dedicated over 500 hours searching for Sands, officials said. 

"Mr. Sands' missing person case remains active and search efforts will continue in a limited capacity," the sheriff's department said. 

Sands has dozens of film and television credits over a five-decade career. They include "A Room with a View," "Leaving Las Vegas," "The Killing Fields," "Oceans Thirteen" and "24."

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