Following Julian Sands' untimely death, further details about the tragedy have now been released.
The actor, best known for his roles in Room with a View and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was first reported missing on the evening of January 13 after embarking on a hike in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains.
At the time, rescue teams that were deployed in the area were forced to halt their search for the star due to severe weather conditions which prompted a high risk of avalanches, though the mission continued through the use of drones.
On June 27, approximately five months after the 65-year-old was initially reported missing, Sands was declared dead after hikers discovered human remains while they were in the Mount Baldy region.
As per a report published by the BBC, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said the remains found had been "positively identified as the missing actor."
"The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results," they said in a statement at the time. "We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to try to locate Mr Sands."
Now, almost a month later, officials have ruled that the actor's cause of death is "undetermined" due to the condition in which the body was found.
However, the outlet also added that "no other factors were discovered during the coroner's investigation."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mara Rodriguez who works as a public information officer for the San Bernardino County Police Department said that this was "common when dealing with cases of this type."
This comes as Sands’ family repeatedly thanked the authorities for their continued efforts during the case.
"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," they said last month. "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' brother, Nick Sands, who lives in North Yorkshire in England, said he had already said his "goodbyes" back in January.
"I have come to terms with the fact he's gone and for me that's how I've dealt with it," he said at the time.
Sands was known to be an avid hiker.
Speaking of his love for the hobby with Thrive Global, the star opened up about the self-discipline needed to really harness the benefits of hiking.
"Climbing mountains, a lot of time people who don't climb mountains assume is about this great heroic sprint for the summit," he said. "And somehow this great ego-driven ambition. But actually, it's the reverse. It's about supplication and sacrifice and humility, when you go to these mountains," he told the publisher.
He added: "It's not so much a celebration of oneself but the eradication of one's self-consciousness. And so on these walks, you lose yourself, you become a vessel of energy in harmony hopefully with your environment."
Our thoughts are with Sands' loved ones during this difficult time.
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