Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He called emergency services over a week ago, and he has still not been found.
A major search is underway in central Romania for a British student who vanished while hiking alone near Bran Castle.
Local mountain teams say worsening winter conditions have slowed progress as they try to reach remote valleys where he was last traced.
Lost in the mountains
George Smyth, 18, set out on 23 November for a solo trek in the Bucegi Mountains, according to reporting from The Independent.
As temperatures dropped, he contacted emergency services saying he was suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia.
His mother, Jo Smyth, has travelled to Romania to join the search effort. She told local reporters he left for the hike without notifying anyone.
Weather hampers teams
Teams from the Salvamont Brasov rescue service began combing the area in the following days.
They recovered only his rucksack, still stocked with camping gear and food, close to the spot where his distress call was placed.
Around 20 mountain specialists were deployed on Friday and Saturday, but deep snow — reaching more than two metres in some areas — has blocked access routes, the service said.
Crews have used thermal cameras, rescue dogs and a Black Hawk helicopter to survey difficult terrain.
Search effort grows
Rescuers say the teenager left from Poiana Brasov on Sunday morning and headed toward Bran, the village famous for its castle linked to Dracula folklore.
He eventually reached Tiganesti Valley, where his call for help was made, according to local media cited by The Independent.
Sebastian Marinescu, head of Salvamont Brasov, told a Romanian outlet: “The backpack had quite a lot of equipment in it – a sleeping bag, a tent. My colleagues even found food all around. So we don’t understand what happened and where he could have gone.”
Sources: The Independent, Observator, local news outlets
