Overview

• Tyrol’s mountain rescuers have mounted around 700 operations since early May, following 3,640 missions in Bavaria during summer 2024 and 3,570 Swiss distress cases last year.
• Officials attribute the surge to hikers tackling challenging terrain without adequate gear or experience, driven by overconfidence and social-media-fueled ambition.
• The widespread use of planning apps and assumptions about constant phone coverage fosters a false sense of security that often collapses in poor weather or remote zones.
• Helicopter deployments can cost several thousand euros per mission, fueling calls for stricter equipment standards and enforcement of rescue fee payments.
• Volunteer teams caution that helicopters cannot fly in all weather, leaving stranded hikers exposed and stretching rescue operations.