MOUNT BALDY – (INT) – The search on Mt. Baldy for missing British actor Julian Sands continues by air only effective Wednesday.

Avalanches have swept down the west side of the mountain limiting a ground search, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. However, an air search by helicopter will continue although high winds are in the forecast.

Cellphone pings showing Sands’ movements were last detected on January 13th the day before the onset of a heavy weekend storm. The California Office of Emergency Services will use phone forensic technology to pinpoint an exact location.

Search efforts are being concentrated in the Baldy Bowl area.

The latest on another missing hiker is ending on an upbeat note. Jin Chung, 75, of Los Angeles, was found safe Tuesday. He suffered some weather-related injuries and a leg injury but was able to walk out with the assistance of searchers. Chung had carpooled to Mt. Baldy Sunday with two other hikers but got separated.

Several hikers have been rescued and two others killed on ice-covered trails around Mt. Baldy in recent weeks.

On January 8th, a woman slid an estimated 700-feet to her death in Baldy Bowl.

On December 29th, Jarret Choi, 43, of Los Angeles died on the Icehouse Canyon Trail after he became lost and injured, the coroner reported. Four other hikers encountered trouble on Mt. Baldy and had to be rescued. Yet another hiker went missing after a Thanksgiving Day snow storm in the same area. However, he was found and brought to safety.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department warns even skilled hikers to stay away.

Story Date: January 31, 2023