Authorities have confirmed the identity of a woman who was allegedly left to freeze to death on a mountain by her boyfriend.
The boyfriend is now facing charges of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of 33-year-old Kerstin Gurtner. She passed away less than 150 feet from the summit of the Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain, during a hazardous late-night hike in freezing temperatures.
The Grossglockner, towering at 12,460 feet, is Austria’s highest peak. Gurtner, who reportedly had limited mountaineering experience, was guided up the mountain in -4 degree conditions with high winds on January 19.
As they neared the summit, Gurtner, who was suffering from hypothermia and disorientation, informed her partner she could not continue in the severe alpine environment.
Prosecutors allege that about three hours later, at 2 a.m., her boyfriend descended the mountain to seek help, effectively leaving her to ‘freeze to death’ on the mountainside.
Gurtner described herself on social media as a ‘winter child’ and a ‘mountain person.’ Prosecutors argue that her boyfriend failed in his responsibility to ensure her safety.
They further accuse him of neglecting to use nearby blankets and shelter that could have protected Gurtner while he went for help.
A German-translated statement from prosecutors, as reported by Heute, reads: “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.
“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.”
Disturbing footage from a mountain webcam shows the light from a single headlamp descending, leaving Gurtner behind.
Prosecutors also claim he delayed contacting emergency services and ignored a return call by switching his phone to silent, losing precious rescue time.
Additional claims by Austrian prosecutors include his failure to signal a police helicopter that flew overhead at 10:50 p.m. and neglecting to relocate Gurtner to a sheltered area.
“The defendant failed to move his girlfriend to a sheltered spot to protect her from heat loss,” prosecutors said, criticizing the experienced mountaineer for embarking on a challenging tour with someone inexperienced in such high-altitude alpine conditions.
Rescue teams, hindered by hurricane-strength winds on the mountain, could not reach Gurtner until the day after the tragic midnight ordeal.
Legal representatives for Gurtner’s boyfriend have characterized her death as a ‘tragic, fateful accident’.
Tributes posted on an online memorial website remember Gurtner as a ‘beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law, godmother, granddaughter, partner, and friend’.
The memorial requests that those paying respects avoid making accusations or assumptions.