‘CRUEL BEYOND BELIEF’ 

Family issues heartbreaking update after Brit teen vanishes in mountains near Dracula’s castle following SOS call

THE family of a Brit teen who vanished in the snowy mountains around Dracula’s Castle in Romania has issued a tragic update.

Uni student George Smyth, 18, left for the solo hiking trip without telling his family, and was last heard from when he told emergency services he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia.

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George Smyth, 18, vanished near Dracula’s Castle in RomaniaCredit: Newsflash
 

Dracula's Bran Castle
George was trying to walk to Bran castle in Transylvania, RomaniaCredit: Getty
 

Collage of maps and photos illustrating the search for George, a missing Brit in the Bucegi Mountains of Romania.
In a heart-breaking statement, George’s family said it was “cruel beyond belief”, but they had to accept they have lost him.

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.”

Mountain rescue teams have temporarily suspended search operations due to the “high and persistent avalanche risk in the area”.

George went missing on the evening of Sunday, November 23.

Rescue teams said he set off on Sunday morning from the mountain resort of Poiana Brasov.

He was intending to walk to the village of Bran – famous for Bran Castle, which is rumoured to have been Dracula’s home.

Piecing together his movements, rescuers think he managed to reach the Tiganesti valley where he then rang the 112 emergency line.

He told the call handler he was exhausted and hypothermic, and pleaded with them to help.

George’s family have now urged people to help commemorate his life by sharing their own thoughts and memories of the 18-year-old.

They said: “George was a phenomenally kind and selfless person, fiercely loyal to his friends and full of energy and enthusiasm for everything he did.

“We will never forget George’s unique character. He brought so much to our lives and had more impact on the world during his 18 years than many people achieve over much longer periods.”

George’s mum, Jo, flew out to Romania as soon as she received the news from the Salvamont Brasov rescue service.

Jo previously 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 on Sunday evening.

“I flew to Romania immediately and we are trying to support the search teams as best we can.”

A 20-strong team aided by a helicopter have been battling two-metre-deep snow and harsh conditions to search for him.

They managed to locate a rucksack in the area where he went missing, but not the lad himself.

A Black Hawk helicopter has been used to drop teams into the remote terrain – a first for the local rescuers.

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Mountain rescue have temporarily suspended search operations due to ‘high avalanche risk’Credit: Newsflash
 

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George’s family described him as ‘phenomenally kind and selfless’Credit: Newsflash
 

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More than 20 rescuers were deployed to scour the mountainsCredit: Newsflash
Officials said the operation has been repeatedly hindered by harsh winter conditions now gripping the Bucegi Mountains, which are part of the high Carpathian range.

November and early December routinely bring rapidly changing weather, sudden fog banks, freezing winds and unstable snowpacks.

Hypothermia can set in within minutes if a hiker is unprotected or exhausted.

The teen’s journey from Poiana Brasov to Bran entails long, forested trails that rise sharply into high alpine sections.

These areas become particularly perilous during late-autumn cold snaps.

The search will continue in line with weather developments and operational safety.