Accidents

Court Convicts Man Who Left Girlfriend to Die on Austrian Mountain

Did the accused recklessly abandon his girlfriend to die or make an impossible choice to seek rescue in brutal conditions?

FEB 18·Updated FEB 20

Court Convicts Man Who Left Girlfriend to Die on Austrian Mountain

Story

Above: The Sonnblick Observatory near Rauris, Austria, showing Mount Grossglockner on Oct. 12, 2024. Image credit: Kerstin Joensson/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Alpine mountaineer Thomas Plamberger was convicted of negligent manslaughter on Thursday in Innsbruck, Australia, for leaving his girlfriend who later froze to death near Austria’s highest peak, Grossglockner, in January 2025.
The New York Times
The Times (UK)
The court gave Plamberger, who pleaded not guilty and said he was “terribly sorry,” a five-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of approximately $11,000. He had claimed: “she wanted me to go and get help.”
Independent
The Sun
The couple faced winds up to 74 kph (46 mph) and temperatures of -8°C (17.6°F), with wind chill dropping to -20°C. Prosecutors said Thomas P should have turned back when conditions worsened.
The Sun
2OceansVibe
Prosecutors had alleged that he made nine errors, including starting the climb two hours late, failing to bring sufficient emergency bivouac equipment and allowing his girlfriend to wear boots unsuitable for high-altitude mixed terrain.
Independent
BBC News
Thomas P called mountain police at 12:35 a.m. on Jan. 19, but allegedly left Kerstin G unprotected near the summit around 2 a.m. and didn't notify emergency services until 3:30 a.m. His lawyer called it "a tragic accident."
Daily Mirror
NationalWorld
The Sun
Kerstin G's mother defended Thomas P, stating the couple always made climbing decisions together and that her daughter loved the mountains. Plamberger had reportedly climbed the peak four times previously.
The Times of India
Daily Mail
BBC News
The Irish Times

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The Spin

Narrative A

Thomas Plamberger abandoned his girlfriend atop a freezing mountain after making reckless decisions that directly caused her death. He started the climb dangerously late, failed to ensure she had proper equipment, left her alone in lethal conditions without shelter or blankets, he even silenced his phone while rescue helicopters searched overhead. This conviction is justified.

Imelda Suppe on Facebook

The Daily Beast

Narrative B

This was a tragedy born of brutal weather and impossible choices. Horrible accidents are a haunting consequence of mountaineering adventures, and deaths like these demand a deeper empathy, understanding of context and an appreciation of the risky nature of alpine explorations. Justice has been done, but beyond his sentence, Plamberger will have to live the remainder of his life facing the moral and emotional consequences of his errors.