Mountain rescue and rescue at sea: what treatment?
A mountain trek, a ski holiday, a boat trip... These few words inevitably conjure up memories of good times spent on holiday.
While the sea and the mountains are magnificent landscapes, synonymous with holidays, they are also dangerous environments. There are several thousand rescue operations every year, both at sea and in the mountains. These rescues require special techniques and know-how, as well as the use of specific instruments and equipment. This represents a significant cost for those rescued in Switzerland or abroad. So it's best to be prepared for such situations by taking out appropriate insurance.
What you need to know about mountain rescue
A fall while practising a sport or leisure activity, a medical emergency at altitude, an avalanche, a landslide... In the mountains, the risks are numerous and often underestimated. That's why every year, several thousand rescue operations are recorded by the fire brigade in the Swiss mountains alone. Please note: this impressive figure does not include the many operations carried out on the ski slopes during the winter season and the many operations carried out abroad. Find out more about our tips for safe skiing here.
However, an accident in the mountains is rarely harmless. Even a simple fall, when it occurs at altitude, requires the use of techniques and know-how adapted to the terrain (helicopter rescue, towing, etc.) and remarkable coordination between first-aiders and ambulance crews. That's why, all over the world, mountain rescue services are provided by qualified personnel, specially trained and with extensive knowledge of the mountains.
In Switzerland, depending on the location of the mountain accident, different teams can be deployed, such as the Swiss Alpine Rescue (SAS) or the Swiss Air Rescue (Rega)
Mountain rescue is not free: on average, it costs several hundred Swiss francs for a rescue operation in the ski area, and even more if the rescue is carried out off the marked ski runs. In extreme cases where the victim needs to be airlifted by helicopter, the cost is around CHF 100 per minute when the helicopter and crew are chartered by a private company.
Faced with these outrageous prices, it's a good idea for ski and winter sports fans to take out mountain sports insurance that includes reimbursement of mountain rescue costs. Are you going skiing or trekking in Switzerland? Concentrate on the pleasure and exhilarating sensations of the mountains, and protect yourself from the unexpected with the right sports and mountain insurance.
>> Calculate your insurance premium for your mountain holiday here <<
What you need to know about rescue at sea
In neighbouring France, for example, there are around 10,000 rescue operations at sea every year, more than half of which take place between 1 June and 30 September. Unfortunately, this impressive figure represents only a tiny fraction of the total number of rescues at sea worldwide. The risks mainly concern pleasure boaters. These include: a man overboard, a fire, a ship adrift, a capsize, an accident... and many other types of incident.
As with mountain rescue, rescue at sea requires specific techniques and know-how to provide effective assistance to victims in distress. Search and rescue at sea, coordination of nautical and aerial resources... For each rescue at sea, a large number of human and material resources are mobilised and rigid coordination is required. s protect yourself from the unexpected with appropriate sports and mountain insurance.
>> Calculate your insurance premium for your sea holiday here <<
Insurance for mountain sports
Do you do sport during your holidays? Enjoy your sporting activities, summer or winter, with peace of mind thanks to Europ Assistance's ski lift pass insurance.
This insurance protects you during your stays in Switzerland. It cleverly combines assistance and insurance so that in the event of an accident, interruption to your activity, or theft, breakage or loss of your equipment, you will be assisted and reimbursed.
Discover some of the insurance cover and assistance services that make Europ Assistance's ski pass insurance so successful.
Assistance services :
- Reimbursement of unused services (including lift passes and activity passes) if activities are interrupted.
- Reimbursement of mountain search and rescue costs
- Reimbursement of ambulance and helicopter transport costs
- Reimbursement of medical costs
- Covid-19 cover
Remember that in the event of an emergency, it is imperative to contact the local primary rescue services for any problem falling within their remit.
