An Austrian man facing charges of manslaughter is defending himself against accusations that he abandoned his girlfriend to succumb to the freezing conditions atop Austria’s highest peak. He insists she urged him to leave in search of help.
Thomas Plamberger, aged 39, finds himself in court for allegedly leaving 33-year-old Kerstin Gutner to perish from hypothermia just 150 feet shy of Grossglockner mountain’s 12,500-foot summit in January 2024.
Plamberger contends that his departure came only after Gutner repeatedly insisted he should “go” and summon assistance, according to his lawyer, Kurt Jelinket, on the trial’s opening day, Thursday.
Prior to her plea, Plamberger had reportedly devoted over ninety minutes tending to Gutner, who was too drained to proceed under punishing conditions, with temperatures plunging to minus 17 degrees and winds roaring at 45 miles per hour, his lawyer explained. Jelinket emphasized that Plamberger did everything possible to seek aid.
Prosecutors, however, argue that Plamberger committed crucial errors when Gutner became “exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented,” failing to alert authorities in time to avert tragedy.
“Given that the defendant was significantly more experienced with alpine high-altitude expeditions and had organized the outing, he was considered the accountable guide for the excursion,” prosecutors asserted when charges were brought against Plamberger in December.
In court, they also claim that his account of events does not completely add up.
Prosecutors claim Plamberger and his girlfriend became stranded just before 9 p.m., but he did not call police until 1:35 a.m. — an hour later than he claims — and then set off about 30 minutes later in search of help. Rescue crews didn’t find Gartner’s frozen body until 10 a.m. the following day.
The veteran mountaineer pleaded not guilty on his first day in court in Innsbruck, Austria, on Thursday, according to The Sun. He could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
His dead girlfriend’s mom is standing firmly on his side, ripping the decision to take the tragedy to trial.
“It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a naïve little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain,” she has said.
“And I think it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being treated. There’s a witch hunt against him in the media and online.”
