LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Rescue personnel in the western U.S. state of California said they have launched a search for a second hiker on Mountain Badly when the search for actor Julian Sands at the same area entered the 12 days as of Tuesday.
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday night that its search and rescue team received a request Sunday to search for Jin Chung, a 75-year-old Los Angeles man on Mountain Baldy, which is a 3,068-meter summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
Chung carpooled to the mountain with two others in the morning and made plans to meet them at the vehicle in the afternoon, but Chung did not return, the statement said, adding that ground crews searched unsuccessfully for Chung after he was reported missing.
A high wind warning on Monday prevented rescue teams from the use of helicopters in the search operation, but the ground search was allowed.
The sheriff's department also said rescuers continued searching unsuccessfully for Sands on Mountain Baldy over the weekend, who was reported missing since Jan. 13. The search for the 65-year-old British actor was interrupted last week by avalanche risk and poor trail conditions.
