A Woman Froze to Death After Her Boyfriend Allegedly Left Her Around 50 Meters Below the Summit Cross

"At around 2:00 a.m., the accused left his girlfriend defenseless," a prosecutor stated when the man who was supposed to protect her failed.

A 33-year-old woman has died after her boyfriend allegedly left her on Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner, a case that has led prosecutors to file charges against him.

Investigators argue that the boyfriend's decision, and a series of earlier choices, directly contributed to her death.

How Kerstin Died

According to authorities, Thomas Plamberger and Kerstin Gurtner set out from Salzburg in mid-January for what officials described as a demanding, high-alpine winter tour in Austria's highest mountain.

Authorities say the man abandoned his exhausted partner roughly 50 meters below the summit cross in the early hours of January 19, 2025, leaving her alone in extreme alpine conditions.

But the climb turned fatal when Kerstin could no longer continue during the night ascent and was left behind on the mountain. She later froze to death.

Why Kerstin's Boyfriend has been Charged

Prosecutors now issue charges of grossly negligent homicide against the boyfriend. The public prosecutor's office announced this week that Thomas will stand trial. In its charging statement, the public prosecutor laid out a stark account of what unfolded near the summit. When translated, the statement revealed:

"At around 2:00 a.m., the accused left his girlfriend defenseless, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented roughly 50 meters below the summit cross of the Grossglockner."

"The woman froze to death. Since the accused was very experienced with high-alpine tours — unlike his girlfriend — and had planned the tour, he must be regarded as the responsible leader of the tour," the statement read on.

Prosecutors say Kerstin became unable to continue shortly before reaching the top and that Thomas allegedly decided to leave her behind to descend and get help. Perhaps most damning, investigators accuse Thomas of failing to care for Kerstin before abandoning her.

The charging document states that he did not move her to a more sheltered location, did not use her bivouac sack or available emergency foil blankets, and did not lighten her load by taking her heavy backpack before reportedly departing to seek help.

The Dangerous Decisions Thomas Made From the Start

Investigators argue that the boyfriend's decision, and a series of earlier choices, directly contributed to her death. According to the indictment, prosecutors blame Thomas for undertaking a technically demanding winter ascent despite Kerstin's lack of experience with high-alpine tours of that length, difficulty, and altitude.

They also allege he planned the climb with a start time about two hours too late, failed to carry proper emergency bivouac equipment, and allowed his girlfriend to use unsuitable gear, including a splitboard and soft snowboard boots on mixed alpine terrain.

Authorities further state that Thomas did not turn back when conditions worsened, despite strong to storm-force winds reaching up to 74 kilometers per hour and temperatures around −8 degrees Celsius, creating a windchill of about −20 degrees. Prosecutors say he should have aborted the climb at a known turning point called the breakfast place.

Thomas Made No Calls For Help

The indictment also details repeated failures to call for help. Prosecutors say that although the pair were effectively unable to continue from about 8:50 p.m., Thomas did not place an emergency call before nightfall and failed to signal a police helicopter that flew over the area around 10:50 p.m.

Instead, rescue services were not notified until about 3:30 a.m. After several attempts by Alpine police to reach him, Thomas reportedly contacted an officer at 12:35 a.m., but the contents of that conversation remain unclear. Prosecutors say he then put his phone on silent and stored it away, missing further calls from authorities.

What comes next?

Now, as the case heads toward trial, the looming question is whether the string of decisions made under pressure, in darkness, in the wind, and amid mounting fear amounts to criminal neglect.

The prosecutors believe it does. The case has drawn wide public attention in Austria and beyond, fueled in part by images and footage circulating online. A webcam positioned on the mountain captured movement during the night, which was later highlighted in social media posts related to the case.

One widely shared image showed the moment Thomas was seen descending Austria's highest peak.

For Kerstin, the climb ended forever just short of the summit. But the echoes of that night will now resound in court, where justice must determine what it means to turn back and leave someone behind.