39-Year-Old Climber Found Guilty of Manslaughter for Leaving Girlfriend To Freeze to Death on Austria’s Highest Peak

Life and death on the mountain: Kerstin Gurtner and Thomas Plamberger.

A suspended sentence and a fine for a series of deadly mistakes.

On January 19, 2025, Thomas Plamberger and Kerstin Gurtner set out to climb the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak, and it ended in tragedy – with Gurtner dead and Plamberger now convicted of manslaughter for her death.

When Gertner collapsed sick near the top of the mountain, Plamberger left her alone to fetch help – but she froze to death before he could return.