An Austrian court late ‌on Thursday found a 37-year-old amateur mountaineer guilty of manslaughter over his girlfriend’s death of ‌cold near Austria’s highest summit after he left her to fetch help, local media reported. Earlier, Plamberger insisted Kerstin Gurtner told him to leave her and seek help after they were trapped in sub-zero temperatures on the Grossglockner. Plamberger told the court he had climbed the mountain four times before, three times in winter conditions, before their ascent on January 19th, 2025. Investigators say Plamberger failed to flag down a police helicopter that passed them just before 11pm, then put his phone in silent mode and failed to answer subsequent rescue service calls. Plamberger insisted the conditions were good at the outset but deteriorated rapidly as they ascended the peak.

Source: The Irish Times February 19, 2026 21:15 UTC