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Climber makes disturbing claim about what wife 'told him' before he left her to die on mountain
A man abandoned his girlfriend atop Austria’s highest mountain, leaving her to die of hypothermia, a judge has alleged.
Thomas Plamberger has appeared before the courts on trial, accused of negligent homicide, after he left his partner, Kerstin Gurtner, stranded, 150ft below the mountaintop of Grossglockner in subzero temperatures.
After his girlfriend’s demise in January 2025, 39-year-old Plamberger was subsequently accused of leaving Gurtner as he purportedly went to look for help. His 33-year-old partner was left ‘exhausted with hypothermia and disoriented' while he went to seek assistance.
A descent gone wrong
The climber explained to the courts that he had scaled Grossglockner on ‘14-15’ occasions previously, and was incredibly knowledgeable when it came to understanding Alpine conditions, having watched videos to broaden his grasp.
The young couple, who had been dating for a year and planned to move in together, had always planned their hikes together and were sensible enough to frequently abort attempted climbs, Plamberger alleged. Although he had admitted that he had no ‘specific rescue skills’, and even claimed that Gurtner “told me to go”, the Daily Mail reports.
Courtroom drama over the incident
Judge Norbert Hofer, who was presiding over the case, claimed that Plamberger’s explanations were inconsistent with what actually occurred on the mountain, hypothesising that the self-proclaimed ‘amateur mountaineer’ could have feasibly left her behind because she was no longer able to continue the hike.
Plamberger is alleged to have made a number of errors during the expedition that ultimately led to Gurtner’s death, including setting out without adequate equipment and not seeking assistance even after recognising the severity of the situation.
Despite his suspected involvement in the death, Gurtner’s mother has spoken out in support of Plamberger ahead of the trial: “It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a naive little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain.
“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.”
A total of fifteen witnesses will be called to the stand during the trial - including Gurtner and Plamberger's relatives - as well as mountain rescue teams, the helicopter pilot in question and the forensic pathologist, who are all due to give evidence at the trial, which is set to conclude on Thursday afternoon.