The cause of death for actor Julian Sands was deemed undetermined due to the condition of his body.
The conclusion came nearly a month after Sands' body was recovered from California's Mount Baldy area, where he went missing while hiking six months ago.
According to a spokesperson from the San Bernardino County Police Department, no other factors contributing to Sands' death were discovered during the coroner's investigation, The Hollywood Reporter said. The spokesperson noted that such determinations are common when "dealing with cases of this type."
The search for Sands, 65, lasted six months and was extensive, utilizing drones and helicopters. Bad weather conditions in February complicated the efforts for ground crews. "Extreme alpine conditions" caused almost 10 feet of snow to cover the search areas, further delaying efforts.
In June, a week before hikers discovered Sands' body, San Bernardino police reported that volunteer searchers had dedicated over 500 hours to conducting eight searches for Sands.
During the search, Sands' family continuously thanked the San Bernardino authorities for their ongoing efforts. Days before the actor's remains were found they released a statement saying, "We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts and as an original and collaborative performer."
Sands, who lived in Los Angeles and was an avid and experienced hiker, mentioned in his last U.K. interview with the Radio Times that he felt "chilled" after coming across human remains while climbing.
"Pals I used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains," he said at the time, according to The Guardian. "If you don't really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if you're not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous."
He added: "I've found spooky things on mountains, when you know you're in a place where many people have lost their lives, whether it be on the Eiger or in the Andes. You may be confronted with human remains and that can be chilling."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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