A woman who was left to die in freezing conditions near the summit of an Austrian mountain by her boyfriend has been pictured for the first time.
Thomas Plamberger, 36, stands accused of deserting 33-year-old Kerstin Gurtner whilst scaling Austria’s highest mountain, Grossglockner, in January. She died from exposure merely 150ft below the summit in -20C conditions after being abandoned “unprotected, exhausted and hypothermic”, prosecutors say.
Plamberger, a seasoned climber, could face up to three years imprisonment after being charged with manslaughter through gross negligence, with allegations that he failed to bring emergency equipment and delayed contacting rescue services for hours.
Webcam footage captures illumination from the pair’s headlamps being detected on the terrain as they ascended the mountain on January 18. Approximately six hours into their climb, the lights began to fade as batteries depleted, and Kerstin started to falter.
Urged by Plamberger to continue, she tried to conquer the mountain’s final section amid gusts reaching 46mph whilst wearing merely soft snow boots, which aren’t suitable for mixed terrain at such extreme altitudes. Kerstin found herself unable to proceed further in the darkness, becoming exhausted, hypothermic, and confused as nightfall approached, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/girlfriend-left-freeze-death-mountain-36362596″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.
Plamberger made his way down the mountain alone. Prosecutors allege that when he left his partner, supposedly to seek help, he did not move her to a wind-sheltered area and failed to use a bivouac sack or aluminium rescue blankets.
Rescue teams were unable to reach Kerstin until the next morning due to battling hurricane-strength winds, ultimately discovering her lifeless body beneath the summit cross.
Prosecutors claim the couple began their ascent approximately two hours late, causing the climb to extend into the evening, and they had no emergency kit with them. A comprehensive forensic investigation was initiated shortly after, examining phones, sports watches, photos, videos and consulting alpine hiking experts.
Plamberger, who is legally accountable as the ‘guide’ of the climb, stands accused of disregarding his partner’s lack of climbing experience and failing to decide to turn back when darkness fell. Prosecutors also assert he did not contact emergency services swiftly enough, stating the pair were stranded from around 8.50pm, but he remained silent when a police helicopter flew overhead at 10.50pm.
Alpine Police made numerous attempts to reach him, and he eventually spoke to an officer at approximately 12.35am, nearly four hours after the duo became stranded. Whilst the specifics of that conversation remain unknown, Plamberger failed to contact rescue services again following the discussion.
He had allegedly silenced his phone and put it away, missing any subsequent calls from police. It was not until 3.30am that he decided to alert rescue services, having abandoned Kerstin alone.
According to prosecutors, Plamberger “turned away” and abandoned his girlfriend. A statement from prosecutors declared: “At approximately 2am, the defendent left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoreineted about 50m below the summit cross of the Grossglockner.
“The woman froze to death. Since the defendent, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour.”
They further stated that Plamberger failed to consider his girlfriend’s inexperience and that she had never attempted an alpine high-altitude expedition of this duration. Kerstin’s social media accounts display images of her and Plamberger hiking and climbing together, with captions portraying herself as a “winter child” and a “mountain person.”
Paying tribute to her online, one friend penned “Rest in peace in heaven”, while another added: “Behind the tears of sorrow lies the smile of remembrance.”
Another individual wrote: “We still think of you so often.”
Through his solicitor, Kurt Jelinek, Plamberger has refuted the allegations, maintaining he turned away to seek help and Kerstin’s death was a “tragic, fateful accident”. Plamberger’s trial is set to commence in February, if found guilty he could face up to three years in prison.