World2 min(s) read
Published 11:30 06 May 2026 GMT
Climber who left girlfriend to freeze to death on mountain revealed heartbreaking last words
A man who was convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend to die on a mountain in freezing conditions has revealed her devastating final words.
Thomas Plamberger’s partner, Kerstin Gurtner, died in January 2024, just 150ft below the top of the 12,460ft Grossglockner — Austria’s highest and most precarious mountain — where temperatures had plunged to around -20C.
Located in the central Eastern Alps and a part of the Glockner range, the mountain reportedly claims the lives of 1-2 people annually.
The events that led to Kerstin's death
Footage from webcams shows the pair’s head torches as they climbed, with the lights beginning to fade about six hours into the ascent as batteries ran low. Around that time, Kerstin reportedly began to struggle. It’s claimed she tried to complete the final section in winds of up to 46mph while wearing soft snow boots not suited to the terrain at that altitude.
With diminishing daylight, she became too exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented to continue. Plamberger then made his way back down the mountain alone, reportedly to get help.
Prosecutors said he failed to move her to a sheltered spot or use emergency equipment such as a bivouac sack or aluminium rescue blankets.
Rescue teams were unable to reach Kerstin until the next morning due to extreme winds. She was later found dead just beneath the summit cross.
Plamberger reveals Kerstin's devastating final words
The 39-year-old was convicted of gross negligent manslaughter in February 2026. Although Plamberger maintained that “she told me to go” for the reason he left her.
Prosecutors said he was not properly equipped for the climb and waited hours before alerting rescue teams.
Senior Public Prosecutor Hansjörg Mayr told the court: “Around 2am the defendant left his girlfriend defenceless, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented approximately 50m below the summit cross of Grossglockner.”
The trial has been opened by Judge Norbert Hofer, with Plamberger describing himself as inexperienced in the field of mountaineering and climbing.
He said he was “not a mountain guide but an amateur mountaineer”, adding that his skills were self-taught.
Kerstin’s mother had publicly supported him despite her daughter's passing. She said: “Kerstin was also out in the mountains at night because she had to work during the day. She loved mountain hikes at sunrise and sunset. The two of them were equipped for the night.”
She also argued: “If Kerstin didn't agree, they wouldn't have gone on a mountain tour. Therefore, he doesn't deserve to be held responsible as the guide.”