Actor Julian Sands was declared dead by authorities on Tuesday, after his body was found by hikers over the weekend. He disappeared in January.

Sand was famous for having starred in Oscar-winning “A Room With A View” and a lesser role in another critically acclaimed “The Killing Fields,” as well as appearances in TV series like “24” and “Smallville.”

He vanished on Mount San Antonio, also known as Mount Baldy, Southern California, United States. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said "the manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results.”

"We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to try to locate Mr Sands," the Sheriff added in the statement.

The search for the 65-year-old actor included drones, helicopters and many volunteers. Winter conditions challenged the efforts, resulting in no progress, until hikers randomly found him on Saturday.

Sand was a passionate, experienced hiker. He told The Guardian that he is happiest "close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.” His biggest dream was to scale “a remote peak in the high Himalayas, such as Makalu.” He went missing after ascending Mount San Antonio, east of Los Angeles.

"In the early 90s, in the Andes, caught in an atrocious storm above 20,000ft with three others," Sands had retold a near-death experience to the Guardian in 2020, "we were all in a very bad way. Some guys close to us perished; we were lucky."

He was married to Evgenia Citkowitz, a writer, leaving her widowed with two adult daughters, and a son with his previous wife, British journalist Sarah Harvey. He was born and raised in England, where he had started out in the acting profession. 

“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,” his family issued a statement a few days before he was found.