Climber convicted over girlfriend’s death near Austria’s highest peak

The 37-year-old pleaded not guilty after his girlfriend froze to death NewsWorldEuropeClimber convicted over girlfriend’s death near Austria’s highest peakThe 37-year-old pleaded not guilty after his girlfriend froze to deathDave Graham Thursday 19 February 2026 23:57 GMTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverThe man left his girlfriend on the mountain to get help (AP)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreAn Austrian court has found an amateur mountaineer guilty of manslaughter over his girlfriend's death near Austria's highest summit after he left her to fetch help, local media reported.The court in the western city of Innsbruck gave the 37-year-old Austrian man, Thomas P, a five-month suspended prison sentence late on Thursday and a €9,400 (£8,200) fine for causing her death in January 2025 by gross negligence. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of three years.Thomas P, who pleaded not guilty, told the court: “What I want to say is that I am so terribly sorry.”The case is unusual because while climbing accidents are common, prosecutions over them are rare, even in situations like this one where various mistakes were made.The trial has raised questions about the extent of legal liability in the high mountains, an inherently dangerous environment that climbers generally explore at their own risk.After a day's climbing in which they fell far behind schedule, the woman was exhausted and unable to go on about 50m below the summit of the Grossglockner mountain on a freezing winter's night, the court heard.The defendant left his girlfriend, Kerstin G, exposed to strong winds, without wrapping her in her emergency blanket or bivouac bag for reasons he could not fully explain, to fetch help in a shelter on the other side of the summit. The equipment stayed in her rucksack.A short call to the mountain police did not trigger a search since the police said he did not make clear they needed rescuing, and he failed to answer calls back or WhatsApp messages asking if they needed help. The defendant said his phone had been in airplane mode to save battery.More aboutclimberDeathcourtAustriamanslaughterMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next