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Mountaineer charged for abandoning girlfriend who froze to death on Austria’s highest mountain
A mountaineer was charged after allegedly leaving his girlfriend near Austria’s highest peak, where she later froze to death.
A mountaineer has been charged in Austria for allegedly abandoning his girlfriend near the summit of the country’s highest mountain, where she later froze to death. The fatal climb, prosecutors say, was captured on a publicly accessible webcam, adding a chilling visual record to the case.
Fatal winter ascent on Grossglockner
According to Austrian outlet Huete, along with reports from the New York Post and the Daily Mail, the 33 year old woman was found dead in January around 160 feet below the summit of Grossglockner, a 12,460 foot peak along the main ridge of the Central Eastern Alps.
The woman and her 39 year old boyfriend set out on January 18 via the Studlgrat route, a demanding alpine climb. A local webcam recorded their ascent, with their headlamps visible as they made their way up the mountain in winter conditions.
At around 8.50 pm local time, the pair reportedly became stuck roughly 165 feet from the summit. By 10.50 pm, rescue services attempted to contact the man, but Austrian prosecutors said his phone had been switched off. As the night progressed, temperatures dropped well below freezing, while winds reportedly reached speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
Prosecutors allege abandonment
In a statement released on Thursday, December 4, prosecutors accused the man of leaving his partner in a life threatening state.
“The defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented about 50 meters [160 feet] below the summit cross of the Grossglockner. The woman froze to death,” prosecutors alleged, announcing charges of grossly negligent manslaughter.
Authorities said the man, described as a more experienced climber, allegedly went in search of help but failed to shelter his girlfriend from the wind or wrap her in aluminium emergency blankets.
Webcams and unanswered calls
Webcam footage later showed a helicopter searching the snow covered peaks. Prosecutors said police eventually reached the man by phone, although details of that conversation remain unclear.
By around 2 am, the man began descending the mountain alone. Footage allegedly shows a single headlamp moving downhill, while the woman’s light later went out, believed to be due to a dead battery.
At approximately 3.30 am, the man contacted mountain rescue services but then allegedly switched his phone off again.
“He put his phone on silent and stowed it away,” prosecutors claimed.
Trial set for February
Rescue teams continued searching throughout the night. When they located the woman at around 10 am, she was already dead.
Prosecutors noted that the woman lacked high altitude alpine experience, while her partner had planned the climb and was considered the responsible guide. They also accused him of starting the ascent late and carrying insufficient emergency equipment.
According to the Daily Mail, the man’s trial is expected to begin in February. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.
