I’m admittedly not an outdoor adventurer, but it always impresses me when I learn just how outdoorsy some people are. Not just because of the physical feats they often conquer, but also just the sheer bravery (and honestly delusion) they have to go up against with Mother Nature. Just standing by a mountain or ocean immediately puts me in my proverbial place, and honestly, who could blame me when even seasoned pros meet their untimely and tragic demises while out in nature regularly?
Sadly, an Austrian mountain climber met hers after taking a late-night excursion into freezing conditions. Kerstin Gurtner died less than 150 feet from the summit of the Grossglockner Mountains in Austria, which is the highest mountain in the area at 12,460 feet, according to Unilad.
What’s worse about the tragedy is that some believe it was avoidable –– so much so that her climbing partner and boyfriend, Thomas Plamberger, 39, who was an experienced guide, is facing manslaughter charges. According to People, public trail cam footage, reveals they became stuck around 165 feet from the summit about 8:50 p.m. Jan. 18, 2025. By 10:50 p.m., rescuers began attempting to contact Plamberger, but Austrian prosecutors allege that he had turned his phone off while temperatures dropped to subfreezing and winds hit 45 miles per hour.
Unilad reported that he did not use an available blanket and shelter to protect Gurtner, 33, while fleeing for help, according to authorities.
Their statement, translated from German thanks to Heute, reads as follows:
“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.”
Webcam footage showed a helicopter searching for the couple. Rescuers were reportedly able to talk to Plamberger. He began descending the mountain at 2 a.m. to get help but didn’t make contact with rescue services until around 3:30 a.m. but allegedly turned off his phone again. When rescuers found her at 10 a.m, she was already dead.
“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,” prosecutors said, according to Huete.
They noted he began the tour two hours later than scheduled and accused him of not bringing enough emergency equipment. His court date is reportedly scheduled for February.
In 2024, 309 people died in the Austrian mountains, a 14% increase from the 271 fatalities reported in 2023. Gurtner’s memorial page honored her adventurous spirit and featured many condolences not only for her family but the boyfriend as well.
