Snowy search resumes for teen missing in Romania

A rescue team has resumed a search for a teenager missing for more than a week in Romanian mountains.

George Smyth, 18, a University of Bristol student from Shropshire, has been missing in the Bucegi Mountains since 23 November, according to Brașov mountain rescue. The teenager was reportedly hiking.

Seventeen people, the service stated, restarted the search in the Tiganesti Valley area on Thursday morning, "under conditions made difficult by a layer of fresh snow".

Sebastian Marinescu, from the service, said that parallel efforts were being made together with the family to reconstruct as accurately as possible the route taken by Mr Smyth.

The search had been called off due to an avalanche risk. Mr Marinescu said on Thursday that despite challenging weather conditions in recent days, rescuers decided to make a renewed effort.

On Friday last week, the service said that according to data, Mr Smyth reached the Tiganesti area, where he asked for support via an emergency number.

It was believed originally that the student, whose former school is Haberdashers' Adams in Newport, disappeared after leaving Poiana Brașov to head to Bran, the site of a castle linked by tourism to the fictional Count Dracula.

But on Thursday the mountain rescue service said contrary to information online, there was no data indicating Mr Smyth intended to head towards the castle.

Mr Marinescu stated that since the Newport (Salop) RUFC player reported "feeling cold and a possible onset of hypothermia", rescuers advised him to continue along the marked trail he was on.

GPS coordinates showed he was heading "in the correct direction" towards the Malaiesti Chalet.

The rescue service director added this recommendation considered both minimising time required to reach "the intervention teams" and maintaining moderate movement - essential for generating heat and delaying the onset of severe hypothermia.

"Remaining stationary in blizzard conditions, fog, and low temperatures would have accelerated heat loss," he said.

Mountain rescuers climbed into the Bucegi Mountains on Wednesday night and stayed overnight at the Malaiesti Chalet to be ready to go into the field at first light on Thursday.

The use of technical resources depended on specific operational conditions, Mr Marinescu explained.

Aerial equipment and drones have previously been hindered due to dense fog and strong winds.

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