Julian Sands still missing as second Mt. Baldy hiker found alive

Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Rescuers searching for missing actor Julian Sands on California's Mt. Baldy have found a second missing hiker alive.

Jin Chung, of Los Angeles, disappeared Sunday while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains after Sands was reported missing in the same area on Jan. 13, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The sheriff's department said Chung, 75, was discovered by search and rescue crews Tuesday afternoon along the Baldy Bowl Trail on the 10,000-foot peak, which is an hour's drive northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Chung had "suffered some weather-related injuries and a leg injury but was able to walk out with the assistance of the crew members," the sheriff's department said. Chung was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

In an update Wednesday, the sheriff's department tweeted the "search for Julian Sands continues by air only." Sands, who is an avid mountaineer, is also believed to be somewhere along the Baldy Bowl Trail.

"The Sheriff's Department is closing in on the second full week of the search for missing hiker, Julian Sands. Numerous ground and air search efforts have taken place," the sheriff's department said in a statement Tuesday.

"As of this time, Mr. Sands has not been found and no evidence of his current location has been discovered. The search will continue, weather and ground conditions permitting."

Sands, 65, has appeared in more than 150 motion pictures and television shows including The Killing Fields, A Room with a View and Arachnophobia.

Severe weather in Southern California delayed several searches for the British actor with the sheriff's department warning hikers to steer clear of Mt. Baldy where there has been a high risk of avalanche.

Search and rescue teams have rescued 14 hikers from Mt. Baldy and the surrounding area in the past month, including two hikers who later died, officials said.

"Winter weather on Mt. Baldy makes for dangerous conditions. Hikers are urged to think twice and heed warnings," the sheriff's department tweeted last week. "Exposure to the elements and falls contribute to Mt. Baldy's growing mortality rate and the risk of avalanches prolongs rescue efforts."

On Monday, Sands' family released a statement expressing "heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian."