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Inquest: 999 Call Failure Led to Mountain Deaths
10 Sep
Summary
- Two young friends died on a mountain ridge during extreme winter conditions.
- A 999 call was not escalated properly by police, an inquest heard.
- The men lacked essential safety gear like crampons and ice axes.
Two friends, Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, from Dereham, Norfolk, died on the mountain ridge of Crib y Ddysgl in Eryri during extreme winter conditions on February 19. Their bodies were discovered by a mountain rescue team after an abandoned 999 call made three hours prior from Long's phone was not initially escalated properly by North Wales Police. This failure to escalate the alert, as highlighted by a police expert at an inquest, meant an immediate search was not possible.
Mountain rescue teams, alongside a search and rescue dog team, and the coastguard helicopter, intensified their search on February 19. The men's bodies were found at 10:46 AM. The inquest heard that the scene presented "full winter conditions." While the pair had spiked footwear, they were not equipped with crampons or ice axes, despite clear signage warning of the extreme nature of routes like Crib Goch, which requires experienced climbers.
Det Con James Lloyd stated that while attempts were made to contact the 999 caller, the incident wasn't escalated as it should have been. He confirmed the force did not contribute to the men's deaths, but acknowledged learning opportunities for staff in passing such calls to mountain rescuers sooner. The assistant coroner confirmed both men died from multiple traumatic injuries. This incident highlights critical failures in emergency response protocols and inadequate preparation for hazardous mountain conditions.
