Austria — Should a mountaineer face manslaughter charges if he abandoned a loved one without the proper gear to find help for them? It’s what a trial in Austria is set to determine.
Climbing reports that a mountaineer has been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence over a climb that resulted in the death of his girlfriend.
On January 18, 2025, Thomas Plamberger aimed to climb to Grossglockner (Austria’s tallest peak) with his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner. They reportedly began climbing around 6:45 a.m., at least 2 hours later than recommended. When police flew overhead later that night, they didn’t signal for help. A little while later, while nearing the summit, Gurtner grew exhausted and couldn’t go any further.
Plamberger went to grab help, but he made many major mistakes. While the defense argues that she was an active individual who climbed, Gurtner was an inexperienced climber. This was demonstrated by her not having the necessary equipment and clothing to survive. One example is that she wore snowboard boots to climb up. While she was attempting to snowboard down, wearing them as climbing boots isn’t advised. When she couldn’t go any further, he reportedly didn’t provide her with the necessary emergency equipment or take her to a windproof location to keep her protected while seeking help.
The prosecution is accusing Thomas of leaving her “unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented,” due to heavy winds and cold temperatures that evening. Police attempted to call him, but were unable to reach him. He went on to call for assistance, but then put his phone on silent, making him unreachable. Add in the fact that this challenging climb was done in the middle of winter, and the charges shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Authorities finally reached her at 10 a.m. the next day because heavy winds prevented helicopters from landing in the early morning. By that point, she had frozen to death.
The man was reportedly devastated by the series of events, calling it a “tragic, fateful accident.” He would later post on social media multiple times about the accident, saying that it left him “hurting so much.” Thomas would later co-sign an obituary with her parents.
If found guilty of manslaughter, he would face up to three years in jail. The case will be heard by the Innsbruck Regional Court on February 19, 2026.
Image Credits: Erzherzog Johann Hütte – Adlersruhe
