A hiker who had been reported missing in the mountains of Southern California was found alive Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Jin Chung, a 75-year-old Los Angeles resident, disappeared Sunday while hiking Mount Baldy, the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains outside of Los Angeles. He was the second hiker to go missing on Mount Baldy this month. British actor Julian Sands, a 65-year-old Los Angeles resident, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area on the evening of January 13, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Search and rescue teams combed the mountain on foot, in helicopters, and in drones. On Tuesday afternoon, they found Chung, who “had sustained some weather-related injuries and a leg injury, but was able to get out with the help of crew members,” the sheriff’s department said. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His condition was unknown.
However, Sands remains missing.
“The Sheriff’s Department is completing the second full week of searching for missing hiker Julian Sands. Numerous ground and air search efforts have taken place,” the sheriff’s department said in a news release Tuesday. “At this time, Mr. Sands has not been located and no evidence of his current whereabouts has been discovered. The search will continue, weather and ground conditions permitting.”
Last week, ground crews were withdrawn from the mountain due to avalanche danger and trail conditions while the search for Sands continued with helicopters and drones. There was evidence of avalanches on the west side of the slopes, according to the sheriff’s department
The Sands family released a statement Monday expressing heartfelt thanks to “the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, and several other “heroic search teams … braving the difficult conditions.” expresses on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home.”
“We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support,” the family added.
Sands was born in England and lives in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, having made dozens of appearances in both television and films since the 1980s. Highlights include his role as George Emerson – opposite Helena Bonham-Carter’s Lucy – in the 1985 Oscar-winning drama A Room with a View. Sands also starred in Warlock, Leaving Las Vegas, and a 1998 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera as the title character.
The sheriff’s department said it “strongly recommends hikers avoid dangerous mountain areas like Mount Baldy at this time,” regardless of the precautions they might take. From 2017 to 2022, search and rescue teams conducted 233 missions on Mount Baldy, resulting in eight fatalities, according to the sheriff’s department.
“Many hikers, experienced and inexperienced, underestimate the steep terrain, unpredictable weather, and high winds exhibited in our mountainous areas,” the sheriff’s department said in Tuesday’s news release. “Exposure to the elements and falls contribute to Mt Baldy’s rising mortality rate, and avalanche risk prolongs rescue efforts.”
ABC News’ Caleigh Bartash contributed to this report.