A desperate search for a British teen missing in the snowy mountains near Dracula’s castle has gone cold.
George Smyth, 18, vanished months ago while walking in the Bucegi Mountains, Transylvania.
A fresh search was recently launched after snow that had blanketed the area since Smyth disappeared finally melted enough for rescuers to access previously unreachable ground.
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But despite the renewed attempt to find the teen, there are no clues as to his disappearance or his remains.
Mountain rescuers from the Salvamont Brasov County Public Service searched Valea Tigănesti, where Smyth, from Newport, Shropshire, vanished, as reported by Need To Know.
A spokesperson said: “Most of the snow has now melted, allowing areas that previously could not be fully surveyed to be searched.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the operation, no clues or elements were identified that would lead to finding the missing young man.”
The rescue team said there are still two or three narrow stretches where snow remains, but they expect those areas to become accessible as temperatures rise and searches will continue there.
It has also appealed to members of the public for help.
The spokesperson said: “We launch a public appeal to all tourists passing through Valea Gypsy and the surrounding areas.
“Please pay close attention to the route and its surroundings, and contact us immediately if you notice objects, tracks or any other elements that may be connected to the missing person or that could help identify the area they may be in.
“In order for the received information to be verified as quickly as possible, it is important to transmit the exact location, accompanied, if possible, by photographs and GPS coordinates.
“Any detail, even if it may seem insignificant at first glance, can become relevant and allow the quick organisation of checks in the field.”
Smyth was first reported missing in November last year.
Rescuers previously described his last known location as a “very isolated and hard-to-access mountain area”.
In January, his family said they had come 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.”
George’s mum, 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.
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.
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.
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