British actor Julian Sands identified as missing hiker in California

The British-born film actor Julian Sands has been missing in the mountains of Southern California for five days, local authorities said.

Sands, known for his work in movies such as "The Medallion," "A Room With a View" and "Warlock," went hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, local outlet KABC-TV and Variety reported.

Sands' wife first reported him missing on the evening of January 13.

What do we know about Sands' disappearance?

A spokesperson for the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department told KABC-TV, "From what I understand, he left sometime that day for a hike and when he did not return, his family reported him missing."

A ground search for the 65-year-old actor began immediately, but was called off after 24 hours due to the increased risk of an avalanche, as well as poor trail conditions. Periodic searches by helicopters and aircraft have continued, according to Variety.

Authorities are likely to resume a ground search once conditions improve.

Where did Sands go missing?

The Baldy Bowl of the San Gabriel Mountains, some 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is a popular location for skiers and hikers.

On Thursday, the local sheriff's department had issued a warning that severe winter conditions after weeks of torrential storms had made the area dangerous.

The sheriff's office said its search team had been deployed on 14 different rescue missions in the area for missing hikers in the last four weeks. 

Sands has played various roles including a disgruntled ballet instructor in the Netflix-produced movie "Yeh Ballet," 1998's "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Persian Connection," "All Things to All Men" and "Tale of a Vampire."