College student goes missing near Dracula’s Castle during solo hike in Romania

Despite extensive searches, rescue teams have only found the missing student's rucksack and supplies in the Tiganesti Valley, roughly 16 to 24 km from his starting point in Poiana Brasov. (Image credit: Facebook)

An 18-year-old British student has gone missing in Romania’s Bucegi Mountains after a solo hike towards Bran Castle, which is famously linked to the Dracula legend. In his last call to emergency services, he had described hypothermia and exhaustion.

George Smyth, a University of Bristol student, was last heard from on November 23 while trekking alone through dense forests near Bran. He made a frantic call to Romania’s emergency line, saying he was exhausted, freezing, and unsure of his location, news agency AP reported.

Despite extensive searches, rescue teams have only found his rucksack and supplies in the Tiganesti Valley, roughly 16 to 24 km from his starting point in Poiana Brasov.

George's mother, Jo Smyth, told The Times that the trip was unplanned. “He left his university in the United Kingdom on Sunday, without telling us, to go hiking alone,” she said. “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.”

Authorities say Smyth still faced another 20 to 30 km to reach Bran Castle. Teams have deployed a Black Hawk helicopter, sniffer dogs, and thermal drones to scour remote areas where snow can pile up over six feet deep.

The Bucegi Mountains are notorious for avalanches, hidden cliffs, and icy trails that disorient hikers. Moreover, heavy snow, plunging temperatures, and sudden weather changes have hampered rescue efforts. “Unfortunately, at the moment, the weather forecast for the next few days is an unfavorable one to resolve this case,” the Zarnesti Mountain Rescue Service wrote on Facebook.