A family member of the 'Warlock' star says that the missing actor was 'thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy' when he climbed the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps last September.
- Jan 20, 2023
AceShowbiz - Julian Sands' family has released last-known photos of the actor on a hike as search for him continues. The actor sent pictures of him doing what "he loved best" to his grandson Billy in September 2022, months before he went missing.
In the colorful images obtained by The Independent, the "Warlock" star was climbing the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps. He was scaling a section of the 14,783ft Weisshorn when the pictures were taken.
"This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best - a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy to share with his beloved grandson, Billy," a family member told the outlet.
In the snaps, the British actor was seen using climbing gear including ropes, wearing a helmet and with a rucksack strapped tightly to his back. In one photograph, he is holding a bottle of water and turning to smile at the camera while seated on a peak.
A friend described Julian as a "wild" person, who is "never contained by rules or boundaries." The friend gushed, "He is a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the freedom of mountains which he conquers all over the world." The 65-year-old once described his happiest moment as "close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning."
"And his son Henry by his first wife the journalist Sarah Sands is closely bonded to him and joined the search for him in the Californian mountains where he went missing," the friend added. Henry Sands, Julian's son and Billy's father, joined the search in the Californian mountains alongside an experienced hiker.
Julian's wife Evgenia Citkowitz reported him missing last Friday, January 13 while he was trekking the Mt. Baldy area of California's San Gabriel Mountains. A close friend said the family was frantic with worry.
When he disappeared, the actor was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail, which climbs 3,900ft over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains. A search operation has been launched by authorities and crews found a car believed to belong to him on Friday.
A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said, "On Friday at about 7.30 P.M., a hiker identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of Mt. Baldy."
"Search and Rescue crews responded and began a search. Due to trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, the ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening," the spokesperson added. "However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits. We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews."
The sheriff's department has warned that "severe weather on the mountain has been difficult" and air resources are limited as two people have died in recent days while attempting to scale the same mountainous area.
Its search and rescue team has been called out to 14 incidents in the last four weeks alone. It urged hikers to think twice before walking the trails amid "extremely dangerous" conditions.
