Coroner warns police failures after Snowdonia deaths could cost more lives

Two Norfolk walkers died on Crib y Ddysgl in February after a 999 call was disconnected and mountain rescue was alerted more than three hours later

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

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An assistant coroner has warned that more lives could be lost unless North Wales Police improve how they handle disconnected 999 calls from remote mountain areas. The warning follows the deaths of two young walkers in Snowdonia whose emergency call was dropped and not properly followed up, delaying the mountain rescue response.

Assistant coroner Sarah Riley has issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report after the deaths of Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, both from Norfolk. The two men died on Crib y Ddysgl in Eryri (Snowdonia) in February, a day after a 999 call from Mr Long was disconnected.

According to the report, Mr Long made the call to North Wales Police at 16:27 on 18 February. The connection was lost after he said "helo" and "allwch chi fy nghlywed?". The coroner found that very little further effort was made to identify who was using the phone, and more than three hours passed before mountain rescue teams were notified.

The mountain rescue team told the inquest that they did not have enough information about the location or nature of the call to respond immediately. After further inquiries, including contacting family members, teams searched around the last place the men were seen but found nothing. The search resumed the next morning, and bodies were found on 19 February.

In her report, Ms Riley raised concerns about a lack of guidance and training for staff handling emergency calls from remote mountain areas, as well as a lack of arrangements for sharing lessons learned. She said that if these concerns were not addressed, there was a real danger that more people could lose their lives.

North Wales Police said they had since revised their communications centre procedures. Changes include specific guidance for handling silent or disconnected 999 calls in remote or mountainous areas. The force said the concerns identified by the coroner had now been addressed.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The case highlights gaps in how emergency services handle dropped calls from remote areas, potentially putting other walkers and climbers at risk.
The coroner's formal report triggers a legal duty for the police to respond, but the broader question of whether lessons are shared across UK forces remains.
The deaths occurred in winter conditions, underscoring the importance of timely information for mountain rescue teams.

Background

Eddie Hill and Jayden Long died on Crib y Ddysgl, a ridge in Snowdonia, after going missing in extreme winter conditions in February. Their 999 call was disconnected early, and the police took more than three hours to inform mountain rescue. The bodies were found the next day. The coroner's report is a standard mechanism to prevent future deaths when systemic issues are identified.

Key Perspectives

Assistant coroner Sarah Riley: Found that very little effort was made to identify the caller after the call dropped, and that the delay in notifying mountain rescue was unacceptable. She cited a lack of guidance, training and lesson-sharing for call handlers dealing with remote mountain emergencies. North Wales Police: Said they have revised procedures since the incident, including specific guidance for silent or disconnected 999 calls in remote or mountainous areas, and that the coroner's concerns have been addressed.

What to Watch

Whether North Wales Police's revised procedures are independently reviewed or audited.
If other UK police forces adopt similar changes to handling disconnected calls from wilderness areas.
Any further coronial action if the police response is deemed insufficient.

Sources

Police failings in friends' death on mountain ridge could risk lives, coroner warns · BBC Wales
Gall methiannau'r heddlu olygu 'risg sylweddol' i fywyd yn ôl crwner · BBC Wales

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

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SupportedThe coroner warned that police failures after the Snowdonia deaths could put more lives at risk.BBC Wales: “More people could die on remote mountains unless police do a better job in responding to dropped 999 calls, a coroner has warned.”
SupportedTwo Norfolk walkers died on Crib y Ddysgl in February, the day after a 999 call was disconnected and more than three hours before mountain rescue was alerted.BBC Wales: “Cafodd cyrff dau gerddwr ifanc o Norfolk, Eddie Hill, 20, a Jayden Long, 19, eu canfod yn farw ar Grib y Ddysgl yn Eryri ym mis Chwefror diwrnod ar ôl i alwad gan Mr Long gal ei datgysylltu.”
SupportedMore lives could be lost unless North Wales Police improve their handling of disconnected 999 calls from remote mountain areas.BBC Wales: “Fe allai mwy o bobl farw ar fynyddoedd oni bai bod yr heddlu'n gwella'r ffordd y maen nhw'n delio â galwadau 999 sy'n cael eu datgysylltu meddai crwner.”
Partly supportedThe disconnected call was not properly followed up, delaying the mountain rescue response.BBC Wales: “Officers did try unsuccessfully to call him back, but then made "limited" efforts to find out who owned the phone and took more than three hours to alert mountain rescue, assistant coroner Sarah Riley said.”
SupportedAssistant coroner Sarah Riley issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report after the deaths.BBC Wales: “Mewn adroddiad i atal marwolaethau yn y dyfodol, nododd Ms Riley bryderon ynghylch diffyg canllawiau a hyfforddiant”
SupportedEddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, were both from Norfolk.BBC Wales: “Cafodd cyrff dau gerddwr ifanc o Norfolk, Eddie Hill, 20, a Jayden Long, 19, eu canfod yn farw”
SupportedLong's call to North Wales Police came at 16:27 on 18 February and was lost after he said “helo” and “allwch chi fy nghlywed?”.BBC Wales: “Dywedodd adroddiad allanol, 'A Prevention of Future Deaths' fod Mr Long wedi gwneud galwad 999 i Heddlu'r Gogledd am 16:27 ar 18 Chwefror. Cafodd y cysylltiad ei golli ar ôl iddo ddweud "helo" ac "allwch chi fy nghlywed?".”
SupportedVery little further effort was made to identify who was using the phone.BBC Wales: “dywedodd y crwner cynorthwyol Sarah Riley mai ychydig iawn o ymdrechion pellach cafodd ei wneud i adnabod pwy oedd yn defnyddio'r ffôn.”
SupportedMountain rescue told the inquest it lacked enough information about the call's location or nature to respond immediately.BBC Wales: “Dywedodd y tîm achub mynydd wrth y cwest ... nad oedd ganddyn nhw ddigon o wybodaeth am y lleoliad na natur galwad 999 Mr Long er mwyn gallu ymateb yn syth.”
SupportedThe coroner raised concerns about inadequate guidance and training for staff and insufficient arrangements for sharing lessons learned.BBC Wales: “nododd Ms Riley bryderon ynghylch diffyg canllawiau a hyfforddiant i staff sy'n delio â galwadau brys o ardaloedd mynyddig anghysbell, yn ogystal â diffyg trefniadau i rannu gwersi a ddysgwyd.”
SupportedRiley said there was a real danger that more people could lose their lives if the concerns were not addressed.BBC Wales: “Dywedodd: "Os na chaiff y pryderon hyn eu datrys, mae perygl gwirioneddol y gallai mwy o bobl golli eu bywydau."”
SupportedNorth Wales Police said it had revised communications-centre procedures, including guidance for silent or disconnected calls in remote or mountainous areas, and said the coroner's concerns had been addressed.BBC Wales: “dywedodd Heddlu'r Gogledd eu bod wedi diwygio gweithdrefnau eu canolfan gyfathrebu ers hynny. Mae'r newidiadau'n cynnwys canllawiau penodol ar gyfer delio â galwadau 999 distaw neu alwadau sy'n cael eu datgysylltu mewn ardaloedd anghysbell neu fynyddig. Dywedodd y llu hefyd ... bod y pryderon ... bellach wedi cael sylw.”