--- title: "Ski accidents in the Czech mountains: mountain rescue, emergency numbers and insurance in the Krkonoše" description: "Ski accident in the Krkonoše: emergency numbers 112 and +420 1210, what to do on the slope, the Záchranka app, the EHIC and who pays for mountain rescue." url: https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/guides/mountain-rescue-czechia-ski-accident-insurance language: en-GB published: 2026-09-25 updated: 2026-09-25 publisher: "SKI Rental Jiří Honců, Valteřická 1436, 543 01 Vrchlabí, Česko" --- # Ski accidents in the Czech mountains: mountain rescue, emergency numbers and insurance in the Krkonoše Accidents on the slopes can happen to careful skiers too. Based on information from the Czech Mountain Rescue Service, the emergency services and health insurance bodies, here is who to call, what to do until help arrives and who pays, especially if you are visiting from abroad. We are not doctors or rescuers, so you will not find advice here on treating a specific injury. Instead, we have summarised what the Czech Mountain Rescue Service (Horská služba ČR), the medical emergency service, the fire and rescue service, the Czech Ministry of the Interior and the bodies handling foreign visitors’ health insurance say about emergency calls, call-outs and insurance. The information is as of September 2026. In an emergency, always follow the dispatcher’s instructions. ## Emergency numbers in the Czech mountains - 112: the European emergency number. According to the Czech fire and rescue service, it works even without credit or a SIM card, and operators take calls in English and German, some in other languages too. - 155: medical emergency service. According to the Czech Health Insurance Bureau, operators usually speak only Czech. - +420 1210: Czech Mountain Rescue Service, emergency line around the clock. - 150: fire service, 158: police. > **Tip from the shop:** Save the numbers on your phone before you travel, including +420 for mountain rescue. The Krkonoše lie on the Polish border, and your phone may connect to a Polish network here. According to the makers of the Záchranka app, 155 can only be reached through a Czech mobile network, while 112 always works. ## What to do if someone is injured on the slope Under the rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS), which the Mountain Rescue Service also publishes, every skier and snowboarder must give first aid in the event of an accident. Every witness and everyone involved, responsible or not, must also give their personal details. The Ministry of the Interior and the medical emergency service sum up the first steps like this: - Mark the spot: stick crossed skis into the snow above the injured person so that others see them in time. - Call for help: 155 or 112, or mountain rescue on +420 1210 in mountain terrain. If you can, call from next to the injured person. - Say where you are, who needs help and what happened. Describe what you see rather than what you think, and answer the dispatcher’s questions. - On a piste, describe the location as precisely as you can: the ski area, the name of the piste and what is around you. - After the call, follow the dispatcher’s instructions and stay with the injured person. If their condition gets worse, call again. [The FIS rules and safety on the piste](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/guides/fis-rules-ski-slope-safety) ## The Záchranka app Záchranka is a free Czech emergency app that the Mountain Rescue Service also works with. After you press the SOS button, it asks whether medical help is needed. If you choose 155, it sends an emergency message with your exact location and profile details to the ambulance dispatch centre and then offers a call that you must confirm. According to the Mountain Rescue Service, the app uses GPS to tell that you are in the mountains and alerts the local mountain rescuers too. A separate mountain rescue button sends your location to them and dials 1210 at the same time. > **Tip from the shop:** Visitors from abroad may not be able to install it: according to its makers, the app can only be downloaded from the Czech and Austrian app stores. Save 112 and +420 1210 instead. ## Who pays for a call-out? The Czech Mountain Rescue Service is a public benefit company founded by the Ministry for Regional Development and funded by grants from the ministry and the regions. It carries out searches and rescues, gives first aid, transports the injured and patrols the ridges and pistes. In its leaflet for foreign visitors, however, it points out that it is not a healthcare provider. International agreements on free healthcare therefore do not apply to its call-outs, and foreign visitors receive an invoice based on the price list published at horskasluzba.cz. Rescuers do not take cash on the spot. The ambulance service and hospitals work differently. According to the Czech Health Insurance Bureau, visitors insured in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the UK who show a European Health Insurance Card or a provisional replacement certificate are entitled to necessary care from doctors and hospitals that have a contract with a Czech health insurance fund, which most do. Transport to hospital is free, but you must show the card to the crew. A regulatory fee is charged at out-of-hours emergency clinics, and without the card a doctor may ask you to pay upfront. > **Tip from the shop:** If you need a doctor for a minor injury, ask whether they have a contract with a Czech health insurance fund. According to the German contact point DVKA, providers without one charge self-payer prices that can be higher. ## What insurance to take out The Mountain Rescue Service stresses that the EHIC is no substitute for travel insurance and does not cover private healthcare. It recommends commercial travel health insurance that covers any of its call-outs, not just injuries but also searches and transport. The health insurance bodies of neighbouring countries say the same: - Germany: the DVKA leaflet on holidays in the Czech Republic says mountain rescue costs are borne in full by the patient and statutory insurance does not pay for transport home, so it recommends private travel health insurance. - Poland: the National Health Fund (NFZ) lists mountain rescue among the services you pay for in the Czech Republic and says transport back to Poland is paid in full by the patient. - Before you go, check that your policy explicitly covers skiing, mountain rescue, searches and repatriation. ## Prevention: correctly set bindings and gear that fits The Czech Ministry of the Interior names bindings not set to a skier’s ability and weight as one cause of accidents. It recommends having bindings set and edges sharpened by a professional, skiing within your ability and avoiding alcohol while skiing. We explain how bindings are set in a separate article. [Ski binding adjustment and the DIN setting](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/guides/ski-binding-din-setting) At our rental in Vrchlabí, we choose ski length by height, weight and experience and set the bindings to your weight. Every item is checked, sharpened and waxed after it comes back. We also rent helmets and goggles separately, so you can add them to your own skis. [Ski and helmet rental in Vrchlabí](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/ski-rental) [Book your gear online](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/booking) ## Frequently asked questions ### What number should I call after a ski accident in the Czech Republic? Call the European emergency number 112 or the medical emergency service on 155, and in the mountains the Czech Mountain Rescue Service on +420 1210, which is staffed around the clock. According to the fire and rescue service, 112 operators also take calls in English. ### Do I have to pay for a mountain rescue call-out in the Czech Republic? Foreign visitors receive an invoice based on the Mountain Rescue Service’s published price list. The EHIC does not cover it, so the service recommends travel insurance that includes mountain rescue. ### What does the EHIC cover in the Czech Republic? Necessary care from doctors and hospitals with a contract with a Czech health insurance fund, and ambulance transport to hospital. It does not cover mountain rescue, private healthcare or transport home. ### Can tourists use the Záchranka app? According to its makers, the app is only available in the Czech and Austrian app stores, so visitors with other app store accounts may not be able to download it. Save 112 and +420 1210 on your phone instead. ### What should I do first if someone is injured on the piste? According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, mark the spot above the injured person with crossed skis, give first aid as far as you can and call the rescuers. Then follow the dispatcher’s instructions and wait for help to arrive. --- SKI Rental Jiří Honců · Valteřická 1436, 543 01 Vrchlabí · +420 603 554 947 · skihoncu@gmail.com - [Book now](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/booking) - [Prices](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/prices) - [All guides](https://www.skiverleih.cz/en/guides) Other languages: [Čeština](https://www.skiverleih.cz/md/cs/horska-sluzba-uraz-na-horach-pojisteni.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.skiverleih.cz/md/de/bergwacht-tschechien-skiunfall-versicherung.md) · [Polski](https://www.skiverleih.cz/md/pl/wypadek-na-nartach-w-czechach-horska-sluzba-ubezpieczenie.md) · [Українська](https://www.skiverleih.cz/md/uk/hirska-sluzhba-travma-na-lyzhakh-strakhuvannia.md)