New search for British teen seven months after he disappeared on mountain hiking trip near Dracula's castle

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:51, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 11:58, 29 June 2026 Rescuers have launched a fresh search for a British teenager who disappeared on a hiking trip near Dracula's castle seven months ago.   George Smyth, 18, was last seen in the Bucegi Mountains in Romania in November.  He was there on a solo hiking trip, and told emergency services that he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia. Rescue teams have now carried out a fresh search operation in Valea Gigănesti, where the University of Bristol student was last believed to have been. The latest operation took place in difficult conditions due to huge volumes of snow still covering the area. Mountain rescuers said some sections remained buried under snow measuring between two and three metres deep, with some accumulations exceeding three metres. The teams continued surveying and digging in areas they considered relevant, including spots where snow had gathered beneath rocks. But no conclusive clues have emerged. George, from Newport, Shropshire, disappeared while walking in the central part of Romania.  At the time, the local mountain rescue service, Salvamont Brasov, said searches had been hampered by severe weather and snow reaching up to three metres deep in places.  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 A spokesperson said they hoped warmer temperatures would melt the snow and allow teams to access areas that remain difficult to inspect. In a statement the rescue service said: 'Unfortunately, no other conclusive hints have emerged at this moment.' They added that searches would continue in the coming period depending on conditions in the mountains. The rescue service said this year's prolonged winter had caused snow levels to remain much higher than originally expected, significantly complicating operations. 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. In December, rescuers said George's last known location was in a 'very isolated and hard-to-access mountain area' Hypothermia can set in within minutes if a hiker is unprotected or exhausted in the months of November and December George called 112 for help, as he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia 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.  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, George'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.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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