British Student Missing in Romanian Mountains

Rescue teams in Romania are intensifying efforts to locate an 18-year-old British man missing for over a week in the Bucegi Mountains, where he called emergency services reporting exhaustion and hypothermia during a solo hike.

George Smyth, a student from Shropshire, England, disappeared on November 23 after setting out from the resort town of Poiana Brașov toward the village of Bran, known for its historic castle associated with the Dracula legend. Authorities believe he reached the remote Tiganesti Valley, a densely forested area in the snowy highlands, before making the distress call to the 112 emergency line that evening. Rescuers arrived within hours but found only his rucksack, containing a sleeping bag, tent, food supplies, and other equipment, at the site of the call. Smyth has not been seen or heard from since, despite extensive searches.

The Salvamont Brașov mountain rescue service has led daily operations since the incident, mobilizing around 20 rescuers at times. Efforts have included sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras, drones, and a Black Hawk helicopter to access hard-to-reach terrain. However, heavy snow accumulations exceeding two meters, freezing winds, fog,...