Bran Castle, in Romania, is known for its symbolic connection with , although there is no real historical relationship with Bram Stoker’s novel. In that same scenario George Smyth, a 19-year-old young man who was on a solo excursion through the Bucegi mountain range, disappeared and whose whereabouts remain a mystery after a distressing call for help.
This British student went on a solo route through the mountainous environment towards the tourist area of Bran and . Nine days after starting the walk, on November 23, George managed to contact emergency services by phone and asked for help. According to the magazine the boy was disoriented, physically exhausted and with symptoms of hypothermia.
After the call for help, rescue teams mobilized immediately. Shortly after, in the area from which the last signal had been located, The young man’s backpack was located, loaded with a sleeping bag, tent and provisions.but no trace of George was found. Authorities handed over the found equipment to police as the search intensified.
He’s still missing
The search work continues in the Bucegi mountain range, a rugged and difficult-to-access area where weather conditions have complicated tracking from the first moment. “We do not understand what happened or where he could have gone,” declared Sebastián Marinescu.locally responsible for the operations, while the authorities admit that, despite the deployment of resources, the case remains surrounded by uncertainty.
Rescuers have warned that the area has very harsh winter conditions: strong winds, abundant snowfall and dense fog that have limited air operations and the work of search dogs. In addition, the authorities maintained avalanche risk warnings in high sectors of the mountain range, which forced them to act with caution and, on occasions, suspend searches for safety reasons.
Salvamont Brașov and other local teams have deployed search teams on the ground, carried out sweeps with thermal drones and used helicopters to try to cover the steep and forested terrain of the valleys where the signal was lost. Despite this, the young man has not been located so far.and the authorities have asked anyone who may have seen something relevant to report it to the local police or rescue teams.
Almost two months after George left, the family released a statement describing the young man as “an exceptionally kind and selfless person, extremely loyal to his friends, full of energy and enthusiasm”. They expressed pain at the uncertainty and hope that if the mountains return him, they will be able to bring him home to say goodbye.
