Tragedy on Grossglockner: Man Charged with Negligent Homicide After Girlfriend's Death in Extreme Alpine Conditions

Thomas Plamberger, who allegedly abandoned his girlfriend Kerstin Gurtner on Austria's Grossglockner mountain leading to her death, faces charges of grossly negligent homicide with a trial set for February 19, 2026, at the Innsbruck Regional Court.

Following the recovery of 33-year-old Gurtner's body, Plamberger, 36, shared a deeply emotional tribute on Instagram expressing his devastation. "I miss you so much. It hurts so incredibly much. Forever in my heart. Without you, time is meaningless," he wrote in the post that has since been deleted, according to the New York Post.

The incident occurred on January 18 when the couple attempted to climb Austria's highest peak. Gurtner, an inexperienced climber, became severely hypothermic and exhausted near the summit in extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping to -17 degrees Fahrenheit and winds reaching 45 mph.

Prosecutors claim Plamberger abandoned his girlfriend without proper equipment or shelter while allegedly seeking help. They further assert that he made several critical errors, including failing to bring adequate emergency equipment and not signaling for assistance when a police helicopter passed overhead.

A webcam captured the tragic event, showing the couple's lights on the mountainside around 6:00 pm on January 18.

According to prosecutors, "The defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented about 50 meters [160 feet] below the summit cross of the Grossglockner."

They emphasized Plamberger's responsibility as the more experienced climber: "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."

The prosecution also noted, "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."

In response, Plamberger's attorney has characterized Gurtner's death as a "tragic, fateful accident."