British teenager goes missing on hike near Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania
Fears for British teenager missing after hike near Dracula’s Castle
- British teenager George Smyth, 18, went missing near Bran Castle in Romania's Bucegi Mountains on 23 November after calling emergency services due to hypothermia and exhaustion during a solo trek.
- Mountain rescue teams located his rucksack, containing equipment and supplies, in the Tiganesti Valley, but Mr Smyth himself has not been found.
- His mother, Jo Smyth, has flown to Transylvania to support the search, stating her son left without informing anyone of his solo hiking plans.
- The search operation, involving 20 rescuers, thermal imaging cameras, sniffer dogs, and a Black Hawk helicopter, is severely hindered by adverse weather conditions, including over two metres of snow.
- The University of Bristol, where Mr Smyth recently began studying, has expressed deep concern for his welfare and is in close contact with his family.