18- to 24-year-olds now biggest age group in need of rescuing by Mountain Rescue England and Wales
Press Office
Data released by Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW), visualised for the first time by Ordnance Survey (OS), shows a dramatic growth in rescue call-outs over the past five years.
Between 2019 and 2024 there has been a 24% rise in the number of rescues across England and Wales.
And 2024 has been the first time MREW volunteers were called out every single day of the year.
"To say that there wasn’t a single day in 2024 without a call-out shows one aspect of how busy Mountain Rescue teams have been. But it’s only part of the story. The busiest teams are often seeing multiple call-outs running in parallel with all the demands that puts on unpaid volunteers, their employers, friends and families."
A key trend the data revealed was a difference in the demographic of age-groups in need of rescue.
Back in 2019, 50–54-year-olds were the age group assisted the most by MREW. In 2024, that had changed, with 18-to-24-year-olds significantly ahead of any other demographic getting into difficulties.
The change has been attributed to the growth in popularity of honeypot locations promoted and shared on social media, and younger audiences relying on mobile phone apps that lack the accurate detail required to navigate safely in remote areas.
“It’s hard for us to give a definitive reason for the age group change,” said Mike.
“But we know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment. Add to that a tendency to follow popular routes online without knowing the hazards and context, and it’s not surprising that those likely to be relying most on their phones are the ones getting into difficulties.”
The locations that saw the biggest increase in call-outs 2019 to 2024 were Eryri (Snowdonia), the Lake District and the Peak District, but other National Parks weren’t far behind and there were also specific high call-out locations elsewhere, including South Wales, Northumberland and Cornwall.
The busiest MREW teams were Llanberis, who received 9% of all call-outs, Ogwen Valley (5%), Wasdale (4%), Keswick (4%), Langdale/Ambleside (4%), and Edale (4%). Some individual teams reported they were called out to respond to as many as six separate incidents in a day.
This trend is causing great strain on the busiest rescue teams - all made up of unpaid volunteers - who are finding their resources increasingly stretched to cope.
Key MREW stats for 2024 at a glance:
- There were 3,842 call-outs across England and Wales.
- There were zero days without a call-out for the first time ever.
- 78% of rescue call-outs come after 12pm – the busiest time of day is mid-afternoon as people descend from the hills.
- 23% of call-outs are due to a slip or a trip.
- 17% of call-outs are to look for a missing person.
- 8% of call-outs are looking for a person who reported themselves lost.
Last year, activity captured by users of OS Map app showed that Good Friday was the single busiest day for people to go walking, cycling or jogging outdoors compared to the rest of 2024.
Ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, both organisations are keen for anyone heading out to enjoy the outdoors that they have the right navigational tools at hand.
"Britain is at its best when we can get outside and enjoy its beautiful scenery, especially when the weather is glorious. But that can only happen if the outdoors is safe and accessible for everyone, without requiring intervention from Mountain Rescue volunteers, which could turn a wonderful day into a ruined and upsetting experience. Take the correct steps in planning your route and being prepared with the right mapping and outdoor kit. Our advice is always to plan ahead. Download OS Maps app onto your phone, together with an OS paper map and some simple map reading skills, and you will guarantee yourself a wonderful adventure without getting stranded or lost. "
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