A man accused of deserting his partner at the top of Austria's highest mountain and leaving her to 'freeze to death' has revealed the final words she uttered to him.
Thomas Plamberger is currently on trial in the city of Innsbruck and is facing charges of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to Kerstin Gurtner's death in January last year.
The 33-year-old passed away from hypothermia just 150ft below the summit of the Großglockner mountain, which stands at a staggering 12,461-feet tall.
Prosecutors in Austria have alleged that Plamberger, 39, abandoned his girlfriend and left her to succumb to the freezing temperatures, which dropped as low as -20°C, when she was unable to carry on.
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It has been claimed that he made a catalogue of fatal mistakes, and that these errors cost Kerstin her life.
According to The Times, prosecutors are arguing that the experienced climber set off on the hike two hours too late, while also failing to alert a rescue helicopter that was circling that they were in distress.
Plamberger is also alleged to have left his partner exposed to the elements while she was 'exhausted, hypothermic and disorientated', as he left her without blankets and a windproof shelter they had packed for the hike.
Ultimately, he left Kerstin on the mountain at around 2am on 19 January, 2025, before descending to the nearest hut for help - and when he returned more than six hours later, she was dead.
As he had more experience of mountaineering than his other half, officials consider him to be the 'responsible guide for the tour' during the ascent of Großglockner.
Plamberger has insisted that Kerstin's death was the result of a 'tragic accident', while his lawyers called for the criminal case against him to be abandoned.
The climber previously claimed that he and his girlfriend had made a pact before separating on the mountain. He faces up to three years in prison if found guilty.
In court, Plamberger has shared his account of that fateful day, while telling Judge Norbert Hofer that he was 'not a mountain guide but an amateur mountaineer', noting that his skills were 'self-taught'.
The 39-year-old, who previously served in the Austrian army, revealed the contents of the last conversation he shared with Kerstin on the first day of his trial on Thursday (19 February).
"She told me to go," Plamberger said, while claiming that he spent an hour and a half with his girlfriend before deciding to head back down Großglockner.
He revealed that he had climbed the mountain more than a dozen times prior to heading up it with Kerstin.
The court heard that the couple always planned their climbs together and sometimes abandoned them if the need arose.
Plamberger said his late partner was 'physically fit', although prosecutors argue she was much less experienced in mountaineering than him.
Kerstin's mother Gertraud Gertner has pledged her support for Plamberger and previously likened the criminal case that has been levied against him to a 'witch hunt'.
"It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a naïve little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain," she told German outlet Die Zeit.
"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."
She also previously suggested that Plamberger shouldn't be considered the 'responsible guide for the tour', despite what prosecutors have said.
"If Kerstin didn't agree, they wouldn't have gone on a mountain tour," the mum added. "Therefore, he doesn't deserve to be held responsible as the guide."
The trial continues.
What are the 'mistakes' Plamberger is said to have made?
According to the prosecution, Plamberger made the following mistakes in regards to Gertner's death. These include:
- Starting the hike two hours late
- Not carrying enough emergency equipment
- Letting his girlfriend wear non-adequate footwear 'unsuitable for a high-alpine tour in mixed terrain'
- Waiting too long to turn back
- Not making an emergency call before midnight
- Making no attempt to flag down a police helicopter, which flew across the mountain at 10:50pm
- Not answering his phone
- Not sheltering his girlfriend when her legs gave way
Topics: World News, Extreme Sports, News
Olivia Burke