NEWSAR warns figures are “going the wrong way” as national mountain rescue call-outs rise
Mountain rescue call-outs across England and Wales rose again in 2025, with the volunteer team covering Flintshire warning the trend is heading in the wrong direction.
New statistics from Mountain Rescue England and Wales show 3,968 call-outs were recorded last year, up from 3,784 in 2024.
Deployments, where teams were physically sent to assist a casualty, rose from 3,093 to 3,175 over the same period.
Volunteers spent 158,543 hours responding to call-outs in 2025, before training, meetings and fundraising are included.
North East Wales Search and Rescue, the volunteer team covering Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and parts of Conwy and Powys, shared the figures this week.
“The numbers don’t lie and unfortunately they’re going the wrong way,” the team said.
“The statistics show that there are still the same hot spots for call-outs as previous years. They also show the continued upward trend in call-outs.”
The figures were produced with mapping and data support from Ordnance Survey and show the same geographical concentration of incidents as in previous years, with upland areas in north Wales among the busiest locations alongside the Lake District and the Peak District.
North East Wales Search and Rescue covers terrain from the Clwydian Range and the Berwyn mountains to more urban settings and responds to call-outs from police and ambulance services around the clock.
The team handles incidents beyond traditional mountain rescue, including searches for missing vulnerable adults and children.
Mountain Rescue England and Wales publishes a full annual review each spring. The 2026 edition, which will include detailed breakdowns of last year’s incidents, is expected around May.
North East Wales Search and Rescue was founded in 1979, is affiliated with the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association and assists neighbouring areas including Cheshire and Shropshire when needed.
As a registered charity, the team relies entirely on donations and grants to cover its £30,000 annual operating costs, which support equipment, vehicle maintenance and volunteer training.
Donations can be made via the North East Wales Search and Rescue fundraising page.
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