Disturbing video footage seems to capture the moment a seasoned mountaineer abandoned his fatigued girlfriend, who subsequently ‘froze’ to death.
On January 19, a man, whose identity has not been disclosed, embarked on a journey to the peak of Grossglockner mountain, Austria’s tallest, with his 33-year-old girlfriend.
Sadly, the woman did not survive, as she was discovered deceased approximately 160 feet from the summit.
Reports suggest she encountered trouble around 2am, with her boyfriend, a seasoned climber, purportedly leaving her to seek assistance.
Nevertheless, the 39-year-old has been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, as reported by Heute, because he neglected to protect her from the severe winds reaching around 45mph or use aluminium rescue blankets to shield her against the freezing temperatures.
Currently, webcam footage of the tragic ascent seems to display their flashlights distinctly visible on the mountain’s side as they neared the summit.
This evidence emerges as prosecutors assert that the man allegedly made several questionable decisions, including their choice to undertake the climb despite its ‘difficulty and altitude’ and his partner’s apparent inexperience.
The prosecution also notes that he commenced the hike two hours later than planned and failed to plan for emergencies during the trip, resulting in a shortage of crucial lifesaving emergency supplies when his partner encountered difficulties.
Moreover, he allegedly allowed his girlfriend to wear gear deemed ‘unsuitable for a high-alpine tour in mixed terrain’ and neglected to move her to a sheltered area to prevent heat loss before leaving her behind.
“He neither used her bivouac sack nor the available emergency blankets to protect her from further cooling, nor did he remove her heavy backpack and splitboard,” the prosecutors stated.
Additionally, they accuse him of not making an emergency call before nightfall, arguing they should have turned back given the severe weather and that he missed a chance to signal distress to a police helicopter that passed overhead at around 10.50pm that night.
After eventually contacting emergency services around 3.30am, the prosecution alleges he became unreachable.
“He put his phone on silent and stowed it away,” they claimed.
A statement from the public prosecutor’s office via the German news channel read: “At approximately 2:00 a.m., the defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented about 50 meters below the summit cross of the Grossglockner.”
It continues: “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.”
In contrast, the woman reportedly had not undertaken such a climb with similar altitudes or challenges before.
Prosecutors added: “Despite the woman’s inexperience, as she had never undertaken an alpine high-altitude tour of this length, difficulty, and altitude, and despite the challenging winter conditions, the defendant undertook the alpine high-altitude tour to the Grossglockner via the Studlgrat with her in winter.”
The trial is slated to begin on February 19, 2026.