Man on Trial After Leaving Girlfriend Who Died on Austrian Mountain
Did the accused recklessly abandon his girlfriend to die or make an impossible choice to seek rescue in brutal conditions?
Above: The Sonnblick Observatory near Rauris, Austria, showing Mount Grossglockner on Oct. 12, 2024. Image credit: Kerstin Joensson/AFP/Getty Images
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, and then silenced his phone while rescue helicopters searched overhead.
Narrative B
This was a tragedy born of brutal weather and impossible choices. Horrible accidents are a haunting consequence of mountaineering adventures. Accidents like these require a deeper understanding of empathy, context and an appreciation of the risky nature of alpine explorations.