Mountaineer Charged with Negligent Homicide After Allegedly Leaving Girlfriend to Freeze to Death on Austrian Mountain

A mountaineer has been charged with grossly negligent homicide after prosecutors allege he abandoned his girlfriend during a dangerous climb on Austria’s tallest mountain, leaving her to succumb to extreme cold.

Authorities say Thomas Plamberger, 36, and his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, were ascending Grossglockner on Jan. 18 when Gurtner began showing signs of hypothermia and severe exhaustion just below the summit. According to the Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office, her condition worsened as the climb continued into the night.

Prosecutors allege that Plamberger left Gurtner around 2 a.m. on Jan. 19 in an attempt to seek help. Rescue teams were eventually alerted, but by the time assistance arrived, Gurtner had frozen to death.

In a statement, prosecutors said Plamberger was an experienced high-altitude climber who had planned the expedition and therefore bore responsibility as the tour’s guide. They accuse him of a series of critical judgment errors during the ascent.

Among the alleged failures: not carrying sufficient emergency equipment, allowing his less experienced partner to use boots and a splitboard deemed unsuitable for the icy terrain, and failing to place an emergency call before nightfall. Investigators also said weather conditions — including gale-force winds and subzero temperatures — should have prompted the pair to turn back earlier at a location known as the “breakfast spot.”

According to prosecutors, Plamberger also did not signal to a police helicopter that flew overhead at approximately 10:50 p.m., and instead waited until around 3:30 a.m. to contact rescue services. He is further accused of not moving Gurtner to a sheltered location to reduce heat loss and of failing to use an available emergency blanket.

Plamberger has submitted a written statement denying any wrongdoing, the prosecutor’s office said.

Following the incident, he posted tributes to Gurtner on Instagram, which were later deleted. In one post, he described her death as “hurting so much,” adding, “I miss you so much. It hurts so incredibly much. Forever in my heart. Without you, time is meaningless,” according to the Independent.