Julian Sands: Hiker who found remains of deceased actor on Mt. Baldy shares details of the shocking discovery

The group of hikers who found the body of beloved British actor Julian Sands on Mt. Baldy in Los Angeles, is speaking out for the first time since the discovery.

The hikers climbed the craggy mountain on June 24, six months after Sands went missing, when they found the actor’s shoes, bones and driver’s license.

“It was surreal,” hiker Bill Dwyer told the Los Angeles Times. Dwyer and his crew hiked more than 10 miles the day they found Sands’ remains.

In a June Strava post — titled “Discovery and Recovery of Julian Sands” — Dwyer said he jokingly told his daughter they were looking for “Julian Sands.”

Sands, best known for his roles in Oscar-nominated films, including 1985’s “A Room With A View,” was reported missing by his family on January 13.

Hikers had been warned in the weeks leading up to the discovery that human remains could litter the trails, and helicopters and search teams had been on the lookout.

Sands, best known for his roles in Oscar-nominated films, including 1985’s “A Room With A View,” was reported missing by his family on January 13.

Mt. Baldy is located in the Angeles National Forest and is approximately 10,064 feet in elevation

One of the hikers who spoke chose to remain anonymous and said they were concerned because the ice and snow were melting they might find remains.

“I hope we don’t find a body today,” she said of her thoughts before the walk.

The group knew that Sands’ phone had last pinged from a ridge below the top of the mountain and that he could have slipped through the canyon where they were hiking.

Three hours into their nearly eight-hour hike, the group found a boot and another boot a few feet up the hill.

Later they found walking sticks, bones and then dark winter clothes. In the pocket of the pants was a driver’s license with Sands’ name and photo.

Dwyer and other group members avoided talking to the media and only spoke to the outlet in an effort to warn others about the dangers of winter hiking.

They say it’s important to always have a full safety kit and not get too relaxed when hiking, even on familiar trails.

Upon discovering the remains, the group discovered that one of Sands’ boots had microspikes, which are metal cleats that can be attached to shoes for walking.

The spikes are not intended for walks where there is a lot of snow and the terrain is slippery and steep.

“I was a little shocked when I saw the microspikes,” Dwyer told the outlet. “They were just the wrong tools for the job.”

Sands was an avid hiker and sent photos of himself on trails to his loved ones

In a June Strava post — titled “Discovery and Recovery of Julian Sands” — Dwyer said he jokingly told his daughter they were looking for “Julian Sands”

Not found along with Sands’ remains were a helmet or ice axe, which Dwyer said he should have had for the hike he was taking. He also wore dark clothing.

The ‘Naked Launch’ actor did have his phone with him, but a large part of the mountain range has no mobile coverage.

Dwyer – when he found Sands’ items – used a Garmin satellite messaging device to contact rescue teams in June. They were able to respond in eight minutes.

After Sands went missing, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spent more than $100,000 and 500 hours searching for the actor.

The inclement weather made search and rescue missions difficult, as storms and snow made the terrain rough for even the most skilled hikers.

As of 2020, seven people have been confirmed dead and more than 100 searches have been conducted on Mt. Baldy to missing walkers.

The Southern California streak is one of the deadliest in the United States.

At the time his remains were discovered, Sands appeared to be wearing dark hiking clothes. Pictured: sand in a photo from a previous summit

Rescuers with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department during a search for Sands

After Sands went missing, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spent more than $100,000 and 500 hours searching for the actor. In the photo: Rescuers during one search

When Sands went missing, he was last in the Baldy Bowl Trail area. Had he fallen off the trail, he could have ended up in either Baldy Bowl or Goode Canyon.

Goode Canyon, where he was eventually found, is more treacherous terrain where no one would likely see him.

Donna Newlin, a member of the The San Bernardino County search and rescue team said the falling snow and ice could turn the canyon into a “shooting gallery.”

Numerous attempts were made to find the actor after much of the snow melted, including a few days before Dwyer’s team and hundreds of yards away.

“It was just one of those things,” Newlin said. “If they’d gone another 600 feet, they might have found him.”

It remains unclear exactly how Sands died and when.

In late July, Sands’ cause of death was declared “undetermined” due to the condition of his remains.

The “indeterminate” manner of death is common in cases like this, a spokesman for the sheriff’s department told PEOPLE.