There is "no hard deadline" for calling off the search for missing actor Julian Sands, authorities in California have confirmed.
The star of A Room With A View was first reported missing in the southern Californian mountains a week ago and poor weather conditions have scuppered the search.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation, though snow, sleet and fog was causing issues for any on-foot efforts from the team.
Visibility as of Thursday evening in the highest altitudes of Mount Baldy remained poor, but searches were planning to continue as and when conditions permitted.
A spokesperson from the department told the PA news agency: "We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews," adding there was "no hard deadline" for abandoning search efforts and "no date set".
Earlier on Thursday, Sands’ family towed his car from a car park where it was discovered during the search.
Residents in the Mount Baldy area had noted the "extreme" conditions but said they would not “rule anything out” in the mission to find Sands.
"Conditions can be extreme and even as a resident we don’t hike this time of year…it’s sketchy, it can be very dangerous," Stephanie Coyne told PA on Mount Baldy.
"In prior years other people have gone missing and (people) get injured every year."
Ms Coyne, who works at the Mount Baldy ski resort, said the adverse weather conditions were “typical” for the time of year, but admitted people had previously been found so she wasn't ruling anything out.
She labelled the whole situation "unfortunate".
Sands was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains the evening of January 13, with searches by local authorities continuing by “helicopter and drones when weather permits”.
Ms Coyne added there had been other hikers who had also suffered falls in the area in recent weeks.
Another resident and worker in a sled shop nearby told the agency: "It’s really rough…conditions are really bad."
Jaqueline Miller-Weaver continued: "It’s really icy in some areas, even crampons wouldn’t help you."
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department previously took to social media to urge hikers to “think twice and heed warnings" if they planned to visit the area.
They confirmed its search and rescue teams had responded to 14 calls on Mount Baldy and in the surrounding area over the last four weeks.
British native Sands, who has been resident of Los Angeles since 2020, is best known for his role in period drama A Room With A View.
He also featured in Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock, as well as appearing on television in 24, Smallville and Banshee.
More recently he played the chief medical officer in the 2021 Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi-led drama Benediction.
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