Mountain Emergencies: Who to Call and How to Report Your Location

If you run into trouble in the mountains and can no longer handle it safely on your own, it’s time to call for help. How do you contact Mountain Rescue in Czechia? What should you tell the dispatcher, and how do you report your location? We’ll also cover how to use Záchranka (the Czech emergency app), what to do without cell service, and how to stay safe until rescuers arrive.

When to Call Mountain Rescue and When to Dial 155 or 112

You may need to call for help if you’re injured or develop a sudden medical problem. The same applies if you’re lost or stranded and can’t safely continue or make it back. Call before you’re completely exhausted or dangerously cold.

Before heading into the Czech mountains, save the emergency numbers below.

Save +420 1210 in your phone as Czech Mountain Rescue. The country code is especially useful near the border, where your phone may connect to a foreign mobile network. This number reaches Czech Mountain Rescue, so check the local emergency contacts before heading into the mountains abroad. The 112 emergency number works throughout the European Union.

Once you’ve reached an emergency dispatcher, don’t hang up to dial another number. Explain what’s happening and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. They’ll determine which emergency service to send.

Before you head out, tell someone you trust which route you’ll take and when you expect to return. Save the Mountain Rescue number and download a map for offline use in case of an emergency.

What to Tell the Dispatcher When You Call for Help

Keep it brief and describe what you can see. Leave the diagnosis to medical professionals. Tell the dispatcher if someone is unresponsive, isn’t breathing normally, or is bleeding heavily.

Be ready to answer these questions.

• Where is help needed? Give coordinates, a place name, a rescue point code, or a recognizable landmark.
• What happened, and when? Say whether someone fell, developed a sudden medical problem, got lost, or became stranded.
• How many people need help, and what condition are they in? Say whether they’re responsive, how they’re breathing, whether they’re bleeding, and what injuries you can see.
• What hazards are present? Examples include a fall hazard on a steep slope, avalanche danger, rockfall, and worsening weather.
• Who’s calling? Give your name and a callback number.

If you’re calling from a different location than the injured person, make that clear. Your phone’s location may differ from the site rescuers need to reach.

Stay on the line until the dispatcher tells you to hang up. Keep your phone on and available for a callback. If the person’s condition or the situation on the ground changes, let dispatch know.

How to Find Your Location in the Mountains

Exact coordinates make it easier for rescuers to find you. If you don’t have them, call anyway. Start with the information you have and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

GPS Coordinates and Landmarks

A mapping app can show your current location. Mapy.com, for example, displays the coordinates in the details for a selected point. Before heading out, practice pulling up your own location so you don’t accidentally give the dispatcher coordinates for a different spot.

Read out the full coordinates exactly as the app displays them. Avoid rounding them or trying to convert them to another format under pressure.

If you can’t get coordinates, give the name on a trail signpost or the name of a nearby mountain hut or ski run. You can also describe how you got there from your last known location. Say where you came from, which route you took, and roughly how long you’ve been traveling. If you’re unsure, say so. An estimate given as fact can complicate the search.

How to Use a Rescue Point During an Emergency Call

A rescue point is usually marked by a bright yellow sign with “BOD ZÁCHRANY – RESCUE POINT” in black lettering. The sign lists a code that identifies the location, along with emergency phone numbers. You may see these signs at marked trail junctions, along forest roads and bike routes, or at mountain passes.

If you’re at the sign, read its code to the dispatcher so they can look up the rescue point’s location. If you passed the sign earlier, tell them how far you’ve gone since then and in which direction.

Don’t leave the injured person or delay the call to look for a sign. You can call for help without one.

The emergency dispatcher can use the code on a rescue point sign to look up its exact location. Photo by ŠJů, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Calling for Help and Sharing Your Location with Záchranka

Setting Up and Testing the App Before You Head Out

Set up Záchranka at home. Verify your phone number, grant the required permissions, and add any important medical information. Use test mode to practice the steps without placing a real emergency call. Make sure you exit test mode when you’re done.

Using the SOS Button and Mountain Rescue Module

Tap SOS. The app will ask whether you need medical assistance.

• If you need medical assistance, select 155 Ambulance.
• For other emergencies, select 112 Firefighters.
• Confirm the call when prompted and wait for the dispatcher to answer.

When you select 155, the app also sends an emergency message with your location and details from your profile. Tapping SOS alone doesn’t complete the request for help. For a standard voice call, you still need to confirm the call and speak with the dispatcher.

If you need assistance in the mountains and there’s no immediate threat to life, use the call button in the Mountain Rescue module. It sends your location and dials 1210. If you’re unable to speak, select Can’t Talk and follow the in-app prompts.

If mobile data is unavailable, the app may use SMS to send the emergency message. Depending on your phone settings, you may have to confirm before it sends. With no mobile network in range, voice calls and messages sent over the cellular network won’t go through.

Accidental SOS calls. If your phone or watch triggers an emergency call by mistake and you’re already connected, stay on the line. Tell the dispatcher you’re safe and answer if they call back.

On the trail, your phone helps you navigate and call for help. A power bank and a compatible cable can keep it charged if your trip or the wait for rescuers takes longer than expected.

What to Do Without Cell Service in the Mountains

Calling for Help on Another Carrier’s Network

Even if your carrier has no signal, you may still be able to reach emergency services. Try 112. Your phone may be able to use another carrier’s network. At least one mobile network must be within range.

If the call won’t go through, consider moving to a spot you can reach safely or trying another group member’s phone. Don’t climb into exposed terrain to get a signal or assume you need to leave the injured person. Whether to send someone for help depends on the size of your group, the injured person’s condition, and whether the route is safe.

The Alpine Distress Signal: Using a Whistle or Headlamp

If you can’t make a call, use the Alpine distress signal to attract attention. Blow a whistle, shout, or flash your headlamp.

• Give six evenly spaced signals in one minute, about one every ten seconds.
• Pause for one minute.
• Repeat the cycle.

The reply is three signals in one minute, about one every twenty seconds, followed by a one-minute pause. If you get a reply, keep signaling to help rescuers locate you.

If you hear or see a distress signal, alert rescuers. Tell them what you heard or saw and where the signal came from. Only look for its source if you can do so without putting anyone else at risk.

A headlamp helps you see where you’re going after dark. You can also use it to flash the Alpine distress signal if you can’t get through by phone.

What to Do While Waiting for Mountain Rescue

First Aid and Protection From the Cold

Check for hazards and make sure it’s safe to approach. If there’s a risk of falling or another immediate danger, only enter the area with appropriate protection.

If the person is unresponsive, call 155 immediately, put your phone on speaker, and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. If they’re unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR. To control severe external bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound. Urgent first aid takes priority over marking the site.

While you wait, limit further heat loss.

• Shield the person from wind, rain, and snow.
• Add dry insulating layers as conditions and available gear allow.
• Use a suitable pad to insulate them from the cold ground.
• Use a foil emergency blanket or bivy sack.

A foil blanket helps reduce heat loss. The person still needs warm clothing and insulation from the ground. Hypothermia can develop even above freezing, especially if the person is soaked and exposed to wind. If they’re severely chilled, don’t make them walk. Ask the dispatcher what to do next.

If an immediate hazard forces you to move, tell rescuers as soon as you can. Otherwise, check with them before changing locations.

When a Rescue Helicopter Arrives: Signals and Safety

Use these signals to tell the crew whether you need help.

• Y for yes. Raise both arms diagonally overhead so your body forms a Y.
• N for no. Extend one arm diagonally up and the other diagonally down.

As the helicopter approaches, secure loose items such as clothing, packaging, foil blankets, hats, and other gear. Rotor wash can blow equipment away and kick up snow, dust, or small stones. If you’re using a foil blanket to protect the injured person, hold it down or secure it so it can’t blow away.

Approach the helicopter only if the crew explicitly tells you to. This applies even after it has landed. Leave the choice of landing site to the crew and help with loading only if the rescuers ask you to.

To signal a helicopter crew, raise both arms diagonally to form a Y (yes), meaning “I need help.” Extend one arm diagonally up and the other diagonally down to signal N (no), meaning “I don’t need help.” Photos by Nicola Vähätalo, Wikimedia Commons (Y signal and N signal). Both photos and the composite image are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The two photos were combined side by side.

How to Prepare for a Mountain Emergency

Before you head out, check the weather, trail conditions, and any restrictions. Share your route plan and expected return time with someone you trust. Agree on what they should do if they don’t hear from you.

Pack what you’ll need to contact rescuers and get through an unexpected wait.

• A fully charged phone with emergency contacts saved and Záchranka set up.
• An offline map you know how to use.
• A power bank with a compatible charging cable.
• A first aid kit and any personal medications.
• A headlamp with backup power, plus a whistle.
• A dry insulating layer and a foil emergency blanket or bivy sack.
• Food and water, with extra of both in reserve.

Keep your phone dry and protected from the cold. Save battery power for essential communication. Rescuers don’t automatically track your location just because your phone is on.

You don’t need to have every detail ready before you call. Tell the dispatcher what you know, answer their questions, and work with them on what to do next.