Man Allegedly Seen Leaving His Girlfriend to Freeze to Death on Austria’s Highest Mountain in Webcam Footage

A mountaineer in Austria has been charged after allegedly leaving his girlfriend behind near the summit of the country’s highest mountain, where she later froze to death — a tragic climb that was partly captured on a publicly accessible webcam.

According to Austrian outlet Huete, the New York Post and the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old woman was found dead in January roughly 160 feet below the summit cross of Grossglockner, a 12,460-foot peak on the main ridge of the Central Eastern Alps.

The woman and her 39-year-old boyfriend reportedly set out for the summit on Jan. 18 via the Studlgrat route. A local webcam, which streams footage online, recorded their headlamps as they made their way up the mountain.

At around 8:50 p.m. local time, the pair appeared to be stuck approximately 165 feet from the top. By 10:50 p.m., rescuers began trying to contact the man, but prosecutors said his phone had been switched off. During this time, temperatures dropped below freezing and winds intensified to about 45 miles per hour.

Prosecutors later alleged that the man left his partner “unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented” roughly 50 meters (about 160 feet) below the summit cross, where she ultimately froze to death. Officials announced on Thursday, Dec. 4, that he has been charged with grossly negligent manslaughter.

Although he was considered the more experienced climber, prosecutors said the man set off to seek help without first properly sheltering his girlfriend from the wind or wrapping her in aluminum emergency blankets.

The same webcam that captured the couple’s ascent later recorded a helicopter searching the snowy slopes. Authorities said police eventually managed to reach the man by phone, though what was discussed has not been publicly disclosed.

Around 2 a.m., the man began descending the mountain alone, leaving the woman behind. Footage allegedly shows a single headlamp moving down the mountainside, while the woman’s light is later seen going out as its battery dies.

At approximately 3:30 a.m., the man contacted mountain rescue services, but prosecutors say he then turned his phone off again.

“He put his phone on silent and stowed it away,” they alleged.

Rescuers continued searching for the missing woman throughout the night. When they finally located her at about 10 a.m., she had already died.

Prosecutors also emphasized that the woman had never previously completed an alpine high-altitude tour of similar length, difficulty or elevation, and that conditions on Grossglockner were especially demanding in winter. Despite this, they said, the man chose to undertake the route via the Studlgrat with her at that time of year.

Given his greater experience with such tours and the fact that he planned the climb, prosecutors argued he effectively acted as her guide and bore responsibility for her safety. They further accused him of starting the tour roughly two hours later than planned and failing to bring adequate emergency gear.

According to the Daily Mail, the man’s trial is scheduled to begin in February. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.