Police failings in Snowdonia mountain deaths could risk more lives, coroner warns

Assistant coroner Sarah Riley says better handling of dropped 999 calls is needed after the deaths of Eddie Hill and Jayden Long

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

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A coroner has warned that more people could die on remote mountains unless police improve how they respond to disconnected emergency calls, following the deaths of two friends in Eryri (Snowdonia). Assistant coroner Sarah Riley said North Wales Police made only "limited" efforts to trace a dropped call and took more than three hours to alert mountain rescue after Jayden Long, 19, called 999 on 18 February before the line went dead.

The bodies of Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, both from Dereham, Norfolk, were found on the Crib y Ddysgl ridge on 19 February, a day after Long's call to North Wales Police was disconnected. Officers tried unsuccessfully to call back but then made what the coroner described as "limited" attempts to identify the phone's owner. Mountain rescue teams were alerted more than three hours after the call.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, Riley said the mountain rescue team lacked enough information about the location or nature of the call to act immediately. Searches that evening, including a coastguard helicopter, found no trace. A search resumed at first light the next day, when a dog team helped locate the bodies.

Riley identified several concerns, including a lack of guidance or training for staff handling calls from remote mountainous locations and inadequate systems for sharing lessons learned. "Unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths," she said.

North Wales Police said it had amended its communications centre policy in September 2026 to include specific guidance on handling silent or disconnected 999 calls from remote locations. Call handlers are now expected to consider alerting mountain rescue when a caller's location can be confirmed. The force said it hoped the response would "provide reassurance that the concerns identified have been addresed and that lessons arising from this tragic incident have been recognised and acted upon".

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The warning highlights a gap in emergency response for walkers in remote mountain areas, where quick action can be critical
The deaths show the consequences of delays in tracing dropped calls; improved procedures could prevent future tragedies
North Wales Police has already changed its policy, but broader application across other regions may be needed

Background

Eddie Hill and Jayden Long died in extreme winter conditions on Crib y Ddysgl, a ridge in Eryri (Snowdonia) that peaks at 1,065m (3,494ft). Their bodies were found the day after Long's 999 call was disconnected. An inquest examined the police response and led to the coroner's report.

Key Perspectives

Assistant coroner Sarah Riley: said police made only "limited" efforts to trace the caller and took too long to alert mountain rescue, creating a "significant risk of future deaths" unless action is taken. North Wales Police: said it has strengthened its communications centre policy to include specific guidance on handling disconnected emergency calls from remote locations and shared lessons learned with staff.

What to Watch

Whether the new policy is consistently applied in future incidents
Whether other police forces in mountainous UK regions adopt similar guidance
Any further coroner recommendations following the report

Sources

Police failings in friends' death on mountain ridge could risk lives, coroner warns · BBC Wales

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe coroner warned that more people could die on remote mountains unless police improve their response to dropped 999 calls.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.”
Partly supportedRiley described police efforts as “limited” while saying they were trying to find out who owned the phone.BBC Wales: “Officers did try unsuccessfully to call him back, but then made “limited” efforts to find out who owned the phone”
SupportedJayden Long called 999 on 18 February and the call was disconnected.BBC Wales: “A Prevention of Future Deaths, external report said police received a discontinued call from Long's mobile phone at 16:27 GMT on 18 February.”
SupportedPolice took more than three hours to alert mountain rescue after Long’s call.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.”
SupportedEddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, both from Dereham, Norfolk, were found on Crib y Ddysgl on 19 February.BBC Wales: “The bodies of friends Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, both from Dereham, Norfolk, were found on a mountain ridge in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, on 19 February”
Partly supportedRiley said in a Prevention of Future Deaths report that mountain rescue lacked enough information about the call to act immediately.BBC Wales: “The mountain rescue team told an inquest into their deaths that it did not have enough information about the location or nature of Long's 999 call to act immediately.”
Partly supportedSearches that evening, including a coastguard helicopter, found no trace.BBC Wales: “After further inquiries, including making contact with family members, mountain rescue teams and a coastguard helicopter searched the last known position of the two men but found no trace. A decision was made to continue the search at first light.”
SupportedThe search continued at first light the next morning, and a dog team joined when the bodies were found.BBC Wales: “A search and rescue dog team joined the mountain rescue teams for the search on the following morning, when the walkers' bodies were found.”
SupportedRiley said, “Unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths.”BBC Wales: ““Unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths,” Riley said.”
SupportedNorth Wales Police said it amended its communications centre policy in September 2026 to include guidance on silent or disconnected 999 calls from remote or mountainous locations.BBC Wales: “North Wales Police said it amended its communications centre policy in September 2026 to include specific guidance on handling silent or disconnected 999 calls from remote or mountainous locations.”
SupportedCall handlers are expected to consider alerting mountain rescue when a caller’s location can be confirmed.BBC Wales: “Call handlers are now expected to consider alerting mountain rescue teams where a caller's location can be confirmed”
SupportedThe force said it hoped its response would reassure people that the concerns had been addressed and lessons recognised and acted upon.BBC Wales: “The force said it hoped the response would “provide reassurance that the concerns identified have been addressed and that lessons arising from this tragic incident have been recognised and acted upon”.”