More mountain emergencies keep Swiss rescue service busy

The increase may be partly due to growing numbers of people heading into the mountains, particularly for mountaineering and rock climbing. Keystone-SDA

The Swiss air rescue service Rega carried out 323 missions linked to mountain accidents between the start of the year and mid-August, 39 more than during the same period in 2025.

The increase may be partly due to growing numbers of people heading into the mountains, particularly for mountaineering and rock climbing.

Rega spokesperson Mathias Gehrig said it was difficult to identify the precise causes of individual incidents. “The reason why a person finds themselves in an emergency situation is of no importance to our crews,” he told the Keystone-ATS news agency. Good weather could, however, affect the number of Rega missions.

More broadly, helicopter deployments tend to reflect weather conditions, leisure habits and visitor numbers, Gehrig said. “In fine weather, during holidays or at weekends, more people head into the mountains, and the number of accidents increases accordingly.”

The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has yet to publish figures for 2026, as its annual analysis of mountain emergencies is conducted at the start of each year.

Last year’s data showed a sharp rise in mountain emergencies but a decline in fatalities. In 2025, nearly 4,000 people involved in mountain sports were rescued in Switzerland, around 11% above the 2020-24 average. At the same time, 98 people died while practising traditional mountain sports, the lowest toll in a decade.

The SAC has also pointed to rising visitor numbers as a likely factor behind the increase in emergencies, citing record overnight stays in mountain huts.

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Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.