Julian Sands’ friend and hiking partner described him as ‘very strong willed’ (Picture: Reuters)
A close friend of Julian Sands is keeping his spirits up that the actor will be found safe and well following his disappearance.
Sands, 65, was first reported missing on January 13 after he didn’t return from a hike in the California mountains, with numerous searches since being undertaken on foot and by air by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies.
However, the search has been anything but straight-forward as, on Thursday (January 26), helicopters were grounded again due to ‘powerful high winds’ in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel Mountains – where the star disappeared.
A hiking partner of the A Room With A View actor has now said he is ‘remaining hopeful’ of Sands’ return after the rescue mission passed the two-week mark.
Fellow actor Kevin Ryan said Sands was a ‘smart guy’ and ‘very strong willed’, with lots of experience to tackle the treacherous conditions.
Speaking to Fox News, Ryan said everyone around him was holding onto optimism of finding his friend.
The actor was first reported missing on January 13 (Picture: Jon Kopaloff/WireImage)
‘I think during an episode like this where every agonising day by day, hour by hour goes by, you get more worried about a safe return,’ he added.
‘But all we have in a situation like this is hope. One of the things, as I said, is how advanced Julian is, and he’s a smart guy, and I’m remaining hopeful that he’s holding out, you know, surviving.’
The pair met on the set of the 2014 US drama series Crossbones Sands, which starred John Malkovich.
‘One of the common things that I had with Julian was hiking. I live in California, in Los Angeles, and so does he, so we decided to go hiking a couple of times,’ Ryan added, sharing that he has even climbed the mountain where Sands disappeared.
Sands disappeared when hiking in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel Mountains
‘He’s actually the one that introduced me to Mount Baldy which I’ve done a number of times, twice in the winter,’ he said.
‘It’s an incredibly hard hike with those weather conditions, you’re talking about six to eight to nine hours to get to the summit. When it’s icy it’s very challenging.
‘I know Julian is an extremely advanced hiker and very strong willed. He’s very, very fit and we’re holding out strong but it’ll be a positive return for him.’
Sands’ family previously praised the ‘heroic’ efforts of Californian authorities conducting the search efforts, despite the ongoing conditions.
The father-of-three is an experienced hiker
His family, including wife Evgenia Citkowitz, recently praised the authorities for how they’re conducting the rescue mission (Picture: Steve Granitz/WireImage)
In a statement, also shared by the sheriff’s department, his family said they were ‘deeply touched’ by the support they had received in the days since his disappearance.
Authorities themselves have expressed hope, after previously using a Recco device for aerial searches, which can detect electronics and credit cards.
The sheriff’s department said it was ‘hopeful’ that the technology would be able to more accurately pinpoint an area on which to focus search efforts.
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As well as his television roles, Sands is known for multiple big screen appearances, including Warlock and Arachnophobia.
He moved to California in 2020 with his wife, Evgenia Citkowitz, and has three children.
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He described Sands as ‘an extremely advanced hiker.’
