The climber left his girlfriend to freeze to loss of life in temperatures of -20C.
The climber left his girlfriend to freeze to loss of life in temperatures of -20C (Picture: jung.gemeinsam-trauern.internet)
A climber who left his girlfriend to die on Austria’s highest mountain has been discovered responsible of manslaughter. Thomas Plamberger, 39, stood trial on Thursday (February 19) after his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, 33, died simply 150ft beneath the summit of the 12,460ft Grossglockner in January final yr in temperatures as little as -20C.
He was accused of leaving Gurtner “exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented” whereas he went to get assist, after his trial opened in Innsbruck on Thursday. Judges handed Plamberger a five-month suspended sentence and a €9,600 (£8,400) positive. The defendant instructed the court docket: “I’m extremely sorry. I beloved her,” admitting: “I hadn’t considered a rescue blanket or her bivouac sack. It was a nerve-racking and distinctive scenario”. Plamberger additionally claimed: “She wished me to go and get assist”. The decision – which isn’t but legally binding – got here after greater than 13 hours of deliberations.
In line with prosecutors, Ms Gurtner’s power gave out just under the height on the evening of January 19, 2025, shortly earlier than the couple have been as a consequence of attain Grossglockner’s 12,460ft summit. Plamberger then descended alone, with rescuers later discovering her physique on the mountainside at round 10am. By the point an alert was formally raised at 3.30am, fierce winds reportedly prevented helicopters from flying.
Prosecutors stated he made “a large number of errors” that evening, together with allegedly setting off two hours late regardless of extreme winter circumstances and failing to hold enough emergency gear.
Passing the sentence, Trial Decide Norbert Hofer stated: “The impression I’ve bought from these proceedings is that this was a case of leaving at any value. You might be a wonderful mountaineer however Kerstin’s skills have been galaxies away. She lacked winter expertise. However you undoubtedly ought to have turned again and you need to have realised that.”
The defendant stated he himself “with movies” and claimed his girlfriend was nearly as educated and expert at mountaineering as he was: “I could have performed extra excursions, however she knew precisely what she was entering into,” he instructed the packed courtroom.
Shockingly, the court docket additionally heard claims that this was not the primary time Plamberger had allegedly deserted a companion in treacherous circumstances. In a letter stated to have been written by an ex-girlfriend to his brother, learn aloud in court docket, the lady claimed he had “left her in a determined scenario” throughout a winter hike on the Grossglockner after a “heated argument” concerning the problem of the tour.
On the eve of the trial, Ms Gurtner’s mom publicly backed Plamberger, criticising media protection of the case, saying it made her indignant that her daughter was being portrayed as “a naïve little factor who let herself be dragged up the mountain”. “And I feel it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being handled. There’s a witch hunt in opposition to him within the media and on-line.” Regardless of her help, the court docket dominated that Plamberger’s actions amounted to negligent murder.
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