An 18-year-old British student went missing while hiking alone near Dracula’s Castle in Romania. When he was finally able to reach emergency services, he reported feeling exhausted and suffering from hypothermia.
The student, George Smith, was last in contact on November 23 while trekking through Romania’s Bucegi Mountains, aiming for Bran village, which is famously linked to the Dracula legend.
He made a desperate call to a mountain rescue team, expressing his fatigue and confusion about his location.
Despite extensive search efforts lasting several days, rescuers only discovered a backpack with supplies near the last known location of the call.
According to his mother, Jo Smith, George is typically adventurous and often travels with friends or family. However, this time he had embarked on the trip alone without informing anyone.
“He left university in England on Sunday without telling us and went hiking by himself,” she remarked. “The last time his phone showed a signal was in a remote mountain area.” She described the call he made to emergency services as heartbreaking and flew to Romania as soon as she could to assist in the search.
Authorities believe George started his hike from Poiana Brasov and made it into the Tiganesti Valley, which is approximately 16 to 15 miles from where he called for help.
There are extensive trails connecting Poiana Brasov and Bran, but they can become treacherous, especially when temperatures drop significantly.
Depending on his exact location, he may have needed to hike an additional 12-30 miles to reach safety at Bran Castle.
Since his disappearance, rescuers have faced difficulties due to inclement weather and heavy snowfall. With unfavorable forecasts for the coming days, the Zarnesti Regional Public Mountain Rescue Office expressed concern about the situation.
Reports indicate that in some areas, snow levels have reached over six feet, complicating search efforts even further.
Search teams deployed Black Hawk helicopters, as well as sniffer dogs and drones with thermal imaging, to attempt to reach hard-to-access areas.
Winter conditions in the Bucegi Mountains can be perilous, with abrupt weather changes and dangers like hidden cliffs and avalanches, which pose risks for hikers. Mountain temperatures typically fall within the low to high 30s during this season.
A police investigation revealed that between 2011 and 2020, more than 800 rescue calls were logged in the Bucegi Mountains, leading to various injuries and, tragically, some fatalities.
It was noted that a significant number of these incidents involved hikers experiencing exhaustion or disorientation, often resulting in them going missing.
The University of Bristol expressed its deep concern for George Smith and stated that it is maintaining close communication with his family.
