A mountaineer accused of abandoning his girlfriend at a mountain peak has shared details of their final interaction.
In Innsbruck court, 39-year-old Thomas Plamberger faces charges of gross negligent manslaughter following the unfortunate death of his girlfriend, 33-year-old Kerstin Gurtner.
On January 19, 2025, Gurtner sadly passed away 150 feet below the summit of the Grossglockner mountain, which stands at 12,460 feet.
Pleading not guilty, Plamberger insists he sought help after Gurtner, who was less experienced in climbing, began freezing near the mountain’s peak.
Plamberger left Gurtner at around 2am to find assistance but allegedly did not return for over six hours, as reported by authorities.
The harsh conditions on the mountain saw temperatures plummet to -8C, with a windchill that felt like -20C.
Rescue teams reached Gurtner the next morning but found she had succumbed to the harsh weather.
Plamberger claims that Gurtner’s last words urged him to ‘go, now go!’ after he had spent about 90 minutes with her.
According to The Mirror, Senior Public Prosecutor Hansjorg Mayr stated before the court: “Around 2am the defendant left his girlfriend defenceless, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented approximately 50m below the summit cross of Grossglockner.
“The woman froze to death. Since the defendant, 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.”
The Independent reports that Plamberger’s attorney argued he departed ‘by mutual agreement’.
However, Judge Norbert Hofer noted that Plamberger’s account was ‘inconsistent.’
Allegations suggest Plamberger delayed in calling for help and failed to signal an alpine police helicopter that flew overhead.
It’s also stated that he did not respond to calls from emergency services.
Nevertheless, his defense maintains that the couple had been managing the climb well when the helicopter flew over, and Plamberger claimed he didn’t notice his phone vibrating.
Authorities pointed out that Gurtner was inadequately equipped for the climb, noting she wore soft snowboard boots.
Despite this, Gurtner’s mother expressed no blame towards Plamberger, telling German newspaper Die Zeit: “It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a stupid little thing.
“Kerstin was in top physical condition. And she had already mastered far more difficult climbing tours, both alone and with her boyfriend.
“And I think it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being treated. There’s a witch hunt against him in the media and online.”
Prosecutors argue that Plamberger could have shielded Gurtner from the harsh conditions by moving her to a more sheltered location and that he didn’t provide her with a bivouac sleeping bag or aluminium foil blankets for warmth.
Plamberger described their relationship as happy, mentioning they were planning to move in together.
He claimed his mountaineering skills were ‘self-taught,’ and his lawyer, Kurt Jelinek, described Gurtner’s death as a ‘tragic, fateful accident.’
The trial is ongoing.