Mountain rescue team stands by after iPhone SOS alert at Great Langdale campsite

Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team was called out on Friday 2 October 2026 after police received an iPhone SOS alert from near Gt Langdale campsite.

The team was asked by police to stand by and assist after the alert was triggered. Police officers were trying to establish where it had come from.

According to the team's incident report, members helped officers pin down the location. "We were requested by police to standby to assist when they received an iPhone SOS alert from the vicinity of the campsite. We helped in clarifying the location and police officers were able to resolve the issue," the team said in a post on its website.

Two team members were involved and the call-out lasted one hour. No details of the person behind the alert, or the nature of any emergency, were given.

The team

Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team is based in the Lake District and is available every day of the year in all weather conditions, according to its website. It describes itself as a self-funding team of volunteers who respond to incidents on the Lakeland fells.

The team recorded 151 call-outs in 2025, according to the Mountain Rescue England and Wales Annual Review 2026. Its website states it has had 123 rescues so far this year. (Mountain Rescue England and Wales, Langdale Ambleside MRT)

Staying safe

Mountain Rescue England and Wales advises that anyone in difficulty in the hills should dial 999 or 112, ask for the police, then ask for mountain rescue. It recommends fully charging a phone before setting out and keeping calls short to conserve battery, as mobile signal and power can both be unreliable in the mountains.

People with hearing or speech difficulties can register in advance with emergencySMS, allowing them to contact 999 by text in an emergency. (mountain.rescue.org.uk)

Read Langdale Ambleside MRT’s original post on its website.

Sources

1. Incident Report #123 2026 Langdale Ambleside MRT
2. MREW Annual Review 2026, incident figures January to December 2025 Mountain Rescue England and Wales
3. Langdale Ambleside MRT website Langdale Ambleside MRT
4. In an emergency in the hills, dial 999 or 112, ask for the police, then mountain rescue. mountain.rescue.org.uk
5. If you have hearing or speech difficulties, you can register to contact 999 by text by sending the word register to 999 and following the instructions sent. mountain.rescue.org.uk