UKC

British hiker charged €14,225 for rescue in the Dolomites. Ignored four warning signs closing the area and a barrier to go onto an avalanche zone then called for rescue as rocks were falling.

I heard about this at the crag, had it coming I reckon!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/04/rescued-british-hiker-billed-...
A Brexit bonus…what absolutely staggered me in some of the comments on a Facebook page I was reading was that has apparently been over 80 deaths in the Dolomites in June/July.

I was curious about that line.  Is there some EU agreement about rescue costs?

I also know that in Aosta in Italy at least, rescue costs levied are affected by how responsible those rescued have been.  So if you are foolish, as here, you get the wacked with full commercial costs, but if you are unlucky it's less.

I share your curiosity.  

I assumed it was something like "Italian citizens pay something different from foreigners" but EU rules mean you can't discriminate between EU citizens and Italians? But also curious as to the details...

The below quote was is on the Explorersweb article: 

"A similar incident occurred on July 19, when two Belgian hikers were rescued from the same trail under comparable circumstances. They also ignored closure signs and were trapped by rockfall. Like the British hiker, they required a helicopter rescue, but as EU citizens, they were charged significantly less — only a few hundred Euros, according to multiple sources. This disparity stems from EU agreements that allow the citizens of member states to access rescue services at reduced or no cost. Meanwhile, non-EU nationals, like the British hiker, face full charges without insurance."

3 a day on average, but it was all Italian mountains, not just the Dollies.  Lots of people with no mountain sense standing too close to edges and/or ill-prepared apparently.

this is just a cut and paste from lots of media articles ("multiple sources"!!).  When we were in the EU I remember lots of British climbers having to pay big bills for Italian rescue in particular.  No mention of EU agreements then.  Can anyone find a reliable source about this?

 "Lots of people with no mountain sense standing too close to edges" 

You just need that photo for insta

Appologies! No further sources sorry. 

Don't know about the Belgian, but I was choppered off and spent a week in hospital including surgery in Italy pre-brexit.

They asked me if I had an EHIC, I said I do, they said thank f*** for that otherwise the ride and b&b would cost you a fortune.

Didn't pay a penny. 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/expedition+alpine/bmc_or_aac_insurance__i...

£5000 for 2 more than 10 years ago in the Dolomites.