Rescue teams have been forced to pause the search for a British teenager who is believed to be missing in the mountains of Romania.
George Smyth, 18, from Shropshire, was last seen on 23 November. He made an emergency call to say he was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia.
The search for the teenager is being carried out by mountain rescue teams in the Bucegi Mountains – it is thought that he was walking in the direction of the village of Bran, famous for its castle associated with the literary character Dracula.
George’s mother, Jo Smyth, has reportedly flown out to Romania after he called a 112 emergency line. “He was a sporty and strong young man, and travelled a lot with us and his friends. He loved the mountains,” she said, according to the Telegraph. “We hope and pray that he somehow survived despite all the odds. Just the thought of a life without him is unbearable.”
Sebastian Marinescu, director of Salvamont Brașov mountain rescue team, told Yahoo News the search had been called off for “several days or even weeks” due to the high risk of avalanches.
“Our teams still cannot enter the field safely,” he said. “The snowpack currently exceeds two metres, making it impossible to excavate the entire affected area without putting rescue personnel in serious danger.”
Marinescu said the search would resume as soon as possible and that “finding George and supporting his family remain absolute priorities for us”.
Mountain rescuers search for a missing British teenager in Romania. (Salvamont Brașov/Facebook)
An FCDO spokesperson told Yahoo News on 1 December: “We are supporting the family of a British man who is missing in Romania and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Mountain rescuers said they discovered George’s backpack close to where he called for help but he has not yet been found.
In a Facebook update, Salvamont Brașov mountain rescue service shared a photo of George with the family’s permission and said he was wearing the jacket in the picture.
Its daily rescue operations have so far been badly hampered by dangerous weather and snowy conditions.
The search has involved a Black Hawk helicopter, a drone with a thermal imaging camera and teams with sniffer dogs.
On Saturday, they said more than 20 mountain rescuers took part in a search operation and checked several areas, some of which had snow 2m deep.
“Unfortunately, these efforts have not led to the identification of relevant new information so far.”
Newport Salop Rugby Club posted on Facebook to say it was “deeply concerned” about the teenager’s disappearance, describing him as “a much-loved member of our club”.
“He grew up through our junior section, represented our Colts last season, and has often given his time wholeheartedly to help coach our younger age groups,” the club said. “He has always been part of the Newport rugby family, and this news has touched all of us.
“Our thoughts are with George, his family, and his friends during this incredibly worrying time.”