Warm Easter weather caused spike in Swiss rescue operations

With warm, sunny weather over Easter this year came a spike in air ambulance operations across Switzerland as many headed to the Swiss mountains.

High number of air ambulance operations at Easter

The long Easter weekend turned out to be an exceptionally busy period for the Swiss emergency services. Air ambulance operators Air-Glaciers, Air Zermatt and the Swiss Air-Rescue Service (Rega) have reported an "unusually high number of call-outs" over the holiday, reports Nau.

Air Zermatt and Air-Glaciers sent out 121 air ambulances between Good Friday and Easter Monday. 54 were in Valais and 20 were in Bern, both popular skiing destinations. Rega operated 190 rescue missions across the country, around 60 percent more compared to last year. 

The majority of the rescue operations were for skiing or hiking accidents, continues Nau. The nice weather over the Easter weekend “drew numerous recreational athletes to the mountains”.

In comparison, in 2025, the weather in Switzerland during the popular break was wet and rainy, which may have discouraged sports enthusiasts. 

Winter 25/6 particularly deadly in Switzerland

It wasn’t just the Easter holidays that were a busy time for emergency services, as the European Avalanche Warning Service (EAWS) has reported that winter 25/26 was among one of the deadliest winters in recent years.

135 people died in avalanches in Europe this winter just gone, almost double that of winter 2024/5, reports 20 Minuten. Climate change is thought to be one of the reasons for the increase, as warmer winter weather is “altering traditional seasonal rhythms, resulting in less stable snow”.