Thomas Plamberger Sentenced After Girlfriend Dies on Austrian Peak

Thomas Plamberger was sentenced to five months suspended and a €9,400 fine after an Innsbruck court found him guilty of gross negligence leading to the death of Kerstin Gurtner on Grossglockner.The 37-year-old amateur mountaineer abandoned his exhausted girlfriend near the summit on January 19, 2025, leaving her without proper emergency gear or adequate provisions in freezing temperatures.Judge Norbert Hofer ruled that Thomas Plamberger, as the more experienced climber, failed his duty of care by ignoring equipment mismatches and turning off his mobile phone during the fatal ascent.