A man is facing charges of manslaughter due to negligence for leaving his girlfriend to perish on a freezing mountain without promptly alerting emergency services, according to authorities.
Thomas Plamberger, aged 36, and his partner Kerstin Gurtner, aged 33, were climbing Austria’s highest peak, the 12,460ft Grossglockner mountain, when Kerstin encountered difficulties just 50 meters from the summit. Tragically, she succumbed to the extreme cold of -20C temperatures while stranded alone in a vulnerable state as her boyfriend sought help, as per prosecutors.
Investigations allege that Plamberger delayed contacting emergency services for several hours following the distressing event. The couple embarked on their trek on January 18 and got stranded around 8.50pm. Prosecutors claim that Plamberger failed to seek help or signal for assistance when they initially faced trouble. Additionally, he remained silent when a police helicopter passed overhead at 10.50pm.
Alpine Police attempted to reach Plamberger multiple times and eventually made contact around 12.35am, almost four hours after the pair became stranded. However, Plamberger did not make further contact with emergency services and purportedly kept his phone on silent and out of reach.
It is reported that Plamberger only decided to contact rescue services at 3.30am after leaving his partner behind. Prosecutors stated that he abandoned Kerstin in a dire state nearly 50 meters below the summit cross of the Grossglockner.
Authorities noted that although Plamberger was an experienced climber, his partner was not, and this was her first high-altitude mountain excursion. They also mentioned that the trek commenced two hours later than planned, and the couple lacked adequate emergency gear. Kerstin was wearing inappropriate snow boots for the journey.
Plamberger’s lawyer, Kurt Jelinek, refuted the accusations, claiming that he went to seek help and that Kerstin’s death was a tragic accident. Plamberger is set to undergo trial in February and could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
Friends of Kerstin expressed heartfelt tributes on her social media page, with one person writing, “Rest in peace in heaven.” Another friend shared, “Behind the tears of sorrow lies the smile of remembrance,” while a third person added, “We still think of you so often.”