Overview
- Innsbruck prosecutors have charged Thomas Plamberger, 36, with manslaughter by gross negligence over the January death of his partner on Austria’s highest peak.
- The indictment alleges he left Kerstin Gurtner, 33, about 50 meters below the summit in the early hours while she was exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented.
- Authorities say he failed to signal a police helicopter at 10:50 p.m., spoke with Alpine Police at about 12:35 a.m., and waited until 3:30 a.m. to contact rescue services.
- Prosecutors cite a late start, inadequate emergency equipment and unsuitable footwear, and they label the experienced mountaineer the tour’s responsible guide, relying on webcams and device data to map events.
- Plamberger, through lawyer Kurt Jelinek, denies wrongdoing and says he left to seek help; if convicted, he faces up to three years in prison, with trial set for February.