Coroner Warns of Risks to Life After Police Failings in Mountain Rescue
Assistant coroner flags inadequate response to a dropped 999 call that preceded the deaths of two young men on a mountain ridge.
The lives of individuals in remote areas could be endangered if police do not improve their response to disconnected emergency calls, an assistant coroner has warned. This statement follows the deaths of two friends, Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, whose bodies were discovered on a mountain ridge in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, on February 19.
The pair died in extreme winter conditions on Crib y Ddysgl, a ridge that reaches 1,065 meters (3,494 feet) and lies less than a mile north of Yr Wyddfa's summit. The incident occurred a day after a call from Long to North Wales Police was disconnected.
Assistant coroner Sarah Riley noted that while officers attempted to call Long back unsuccessfully, their efforts to identify the phone's owner were limited. Furthermore, it took over three hours for the police to alert mountain rescue services.
North Wales Police has stated that it has taken steps to enhance its policies and procedures in light of the incident. A Prevention of Future Deaths report highlighted that a discontinued call from Long's mobile phone was received by police at 16:27 GMT on February 18. Audio playback from the call captured Long saying "hello" and "can you hear me?" before the connection was lost.