Mountain rescue team resumes search for hiker

Mountain rescue teams in Romania have resumed their search for a university student who went missing in November.

George Smyth, from Newport in Shropshire, disappeared on 23 November while hiking in the Bucegi Mountains, with several searches undertaken since then amid challenging weather.

Prior to going missing he had contacted rescuers from Tiganesti to say he was disoriented and physically exhausted.

Rescue teams said on Wednesday they had been searching again in "previously indicated areas, under rock walls, in grates and in the hard-to-reach sectors" but without success. His family has said they accept they will "no longer see him, speak to him or hold him in our arms".

The University of Bristol student is believed to have left Poiana Brașov heading to Bran - and reaching Tiganesti, where he made an emergency call for help.

At the time, rescuers said he was in a "very isolated and hard-to-access mountain area" and the weather conditions were extremely severe with strong winds, heavy snowfall, and dense fog.

Later searches involving a canine unit, drones and helicopters were hampered by bad weather and a risk of avalanches, they said, although Smyth's backpack containing his possessions was discovered.

In a post on social media, search teams said they had been searching again, repeatedly checking his last known area, and continuing to use drones.

"During this period, vegetation and terrain configuration greatly limit aerial visibility, and thermovision can no longer provide relevant results after the long interval of time."

As a result, the team said searches had focused a field and "areas hidden from view".

"Unfortunately, no new hints have been identified even after today's checks," they said.

"The case remains in our attention, and any relevant information will be checked responsibly."

In January, Smyth's family, who did not know he was making the mountain trip, said the events were "cruel beyond belief" but they now had to accept he was lost to them.

"When the mountains that took him are ready to let go, George will be found, and we will bring him home to say goodbye," they added.

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