Selfie-Seeker Jailed for Costly £32,000 Hoax Rescue in North Wales
A reckless man who triggered a massive mountain rescue in North Wales over a fake emergency has been slammed by police and sent to prison. Michael Cuminskey, 23, from Stockton, Tyne-and-Wear, got 16 months behind bars at Caernarfon Crown Court for making a hoax call that wasted thousands of pounds.
Mountain Rescue Scrambles Over Fake Fall
On 25th March 2016, Cuminskey rang North Wales Police claiming a man had fallen in the Dinorwig area. The Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team and HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter were dispatched immediately. Volunteers risked it all for what turned out to be a cruel prank.
“Hoax calls put lives at risk and are a costly and wasteful use of resources and Cuminskey showed a complete disregard for this fact,” said PC Gethin Jones from North Wales Police.
“This incident alone cost the public purse over £32,000. The search helicopter could have been needed for a real emergency elsewhere.”
Volunteers Hit Hard by Fake Alarm
Phil Benbow, Chair of the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association, slammed the call-out as a massive strain on already stretched resources.
“Last year our teams handled nearly 600 incidents, with the Llanberis team attending 213. We rely solely on charity donations to fund this vital work,” said Benbow.
“Unnecessary calls like this eat up resources and risk lives. We fully support North Wales Police in making sure crooks like Cuminskey are punished.”
Authorities Warn: Hoax Calls Will Not Be Tolerated
Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard, the National Police Chief’s Council lead on Search and Rescue, warned that such pranks block vital emergency services.
“Mountain Rescue teams in Snowdonia are volunteers doing a tough job. North Wales is one of the UK’s busiest rescue regions,” said Pritchard.
“Each false call wastes valuable air and rescue crew time, clogs up the 999 system, and puts lives at risk. Courts take these offences very seriously. This sentence should serve as a stark warning.”
Cuminskey’s jail term is a clear message: prank calls to emergency services will land you behind bars. In a region where every second counts, wasting lives and money with hoaxes is unforgivable.
