North Wales Police have been accused of incompetence after failing to alert mountain rescuers for three hours following an abandoned 999 call made by one of two experienced hikers found dead on a frozen Snowdon peak. An inquest heard that the call, made from Jayden Long's phone at 4:30 p.m. on February 18, 2026, went unanswered by police officers who attempted to call and message the number before eventually failing to inform the Llanberis mountain rescue team. A major search was not launched until 11:30 p.m. under what were described as "full winter conditions."
Jayden Long, 19, and Eddie Hill, 20, had traveled from Norfolk to climb Snowdon, equipped with spiked boot attachments. However, the inquest was told they were not carrying appropriate equipment for the severe conditions, lacking ice axes and crampons needed for hard-packed snow and ice. Around the time of the 999 call, Mr. Hill had messaged his girlfriend stating they were descending an unnamed ridge due to the weather.
Tragically, the bodies of the two friends were discovered at first light the following day on a 3,500ft ridge less than a mile from the summit, having sustained multiple traumatic injuries. A police expert testified at the inquest that the 999 call "wasn't escalated as it should have been." Despite this admission, the expert's finding that the force's failures had not contributed to the deaths was challenged by Mr. Long's father, Stephen Long, who called the report "not good enough" and accused officers of "incompetence."
Detective Inspector Stuart Bartlett acknowledged that there was an "insufficient response" in the first hour, stating that "more could have been done and should have been done." The force's internal review of the incident had been independently assessed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. However, the assistant coroner for north west Wales, Sarah Riley, expressed concern about the "lack of action" taken by North Wales Police following the 999 call. She recorded a conclusion of accident for both men, noting that they died from falling down steep, mountainous terrain in adverse weather conditions. The coroner intends to write a prevention of future deaths report to the force regarding her concerns.
Relatives of Mr. Hill described him as a "beloved son" and "the most amazing brother," stating that words could not describe the pain of his loss and that he was taken too soon with many future plans.