Body is found in search for British teen who went missing in mountain's near Dracula's castle during solo hiking trip seven months ago

Published: 16:43, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 16:45, 15 August 2026 A body has been found in the mountains near Dracula's castle during a search for a missing British teenager.  George Smyth, 18, vanished in November while on a solo hiking trip in the Bucegi Mountains, in central Romania. Contact was lost with the university student after he made an urgent call for help to emergency services saying he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia.  Rescue teams carried out a second search operation in Valea Giganesti in June, where the teenager, from Newport, Shropshire, is believed to have been last seen.  It came after the first operation at the time was abandoned due to difficult conditions, with huge volumes of snow still covering the area.  Mr Smyth, who was studying geology at the University of Bristol, had not told his parents about the trip.  Avon and Somerset Police announced on Saturday a body has been found, which is believed to be Mr Smyth.  The force said: 'A body has been found as part of the search for missing 18-year-old George, who went missing while hiking in Romania.  George Smyth (pictured) went missing back in November  A large-scale search operation was launched in the Bucegi Mountains for the British tourist late last year 'We have been notified by local authorities in Romania that a body had been found in the Bucegi Mountain region of the European country. 'While formal identification has not yet taken place, it is believed to be George Smyth, a geology university student from Bristol, who went missing in November 2025.' The family have been told and are being supported, the police added.  Mr Smyth's family described in a statement being 'devastated' by Mr Smyth's death. 'He was the best of us and is deeply missed by his younger brothers, family and friends,' they added.   'We want to thank Salvamont Mountain Rescue, who have worked tirelessly since November searching for George; despite very difficult and often dangerous conditions. 'They are an amazing team, and have remained in constant communication, helping us greatly throughout this awful time.' They also thanked Avon and Somerset Police and University of Bristol.  The first operation at the time was abandoned due to difficult conditions, with huge volumes of snow still covering the area  The family added: 'Although this latest news is incredibly painful, the torture of waiting is finally over, so we can now focus on bringing George home and saying goodbye.  'We would appreciate privacy while we continue to come to terms with this loss.' An autopsy is being carried out to confirm the identity of the body.  In December, rescuer Sebastian Marinescu said George's last known location was in a 'very isolated and hard-to-access mountain area'. Rescue teams said the teen set off from Poiana Brasov with the intention of walking to the village of Bran, famous for Bran Castle, Dracula's rumoured home. According to the route information they were able to piece together, he managed to reach the Tiganesti valley where he contacted the 112 emergency line. Poiana Brasov and Bran, the teen’s planned start and end points, are connected by long, forested trails that rise sharply into high alpine sections, areas that become particularly perilous during late-autumn cold snaps. He crossed the Diham-Tache Ionescu area but the fierce weather and the difficult route made the hike difficult. He made the call from a valley situated at more than 6,562 feet above sea level. His parents were able to locate his phone and were shocked to discover where he was. Searches resumed in the following days, with crews scouring the mountain terrain on foot and using all available equipment. Rescuers later found a rucksack with equipment in the area he had indicated. Mr Smyth called 112 for help, as he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia The bag was handed over to police, but no further trace of the teen was found at the time of the initial search. The missing teen's mother said: 'He left his university in the United Kingdom on Sunday without telling us, to go hiking alone. 'His phone last had signal in a remote mountain area. He made a distressing call to 112. The teams found his backpack in the same place from where he called for help within a few hours. 'I flew to Romania immediately and we are trying to support the search teams as best we can.' In January, Mr Smyth's family said they had been forced to accept that he had died. They said: 'When the mountains that took him are ready to let go, George will be found, and we will bring him home to say goodbye.'