A seasoned mountaineer has been convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend to die from the cold on the highest peak in Austria. However, he won’t serve time in prison right away.
Thomas Plumberger, 37, was found guilty following a one-day trial concerning the tragic death of his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kerstin Gatner. He received a five-month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay a fine of $11,300.
During their climb to the Grossglockner summit in January of last year, Plumberger left Gatner stranded in severe conditions just 164 feet shy of the summit, which stands at 12,460 meters (or 12,460 meters).
Gatner reportedly later succumbed to hypothermia while trying to descend for safety and had urged Plumberger to leave her behind in hopes of seeking help.
Judge Norbert Hofer noted that while Plumberger did not intentionally abandon his girlfriend, he lacked the necessary preparation for such a challenging expedition and miscalculated the circumstances. He mentioned that Gatner had far less mountaineering experience than her partner.
“I don’t view you as a murderer, nor as a heartless individual,” the judge remarked, hinting at social media reactions to the case. “You seemed to have genuinely attempted to help her.”
However, the judge emphasized that Plumberger did not fulfill his obligations as a leader and pointed out that Gatner might have survived had he acted sooner, such as by turning back or calling for aid.
The pair expressed deep remorse in court, explaining that they had meticulously planned their expedition together.
According to Plumberger’s defense, she had only left her partner after encouraging him to proceed when she felt too exhausted to continue in dire conditions, with winds reaching 45 miles per hour and temperatures dropping to -17 degrees.
He claimed he lacked formal alpine training and suggested that Gatner was as knowledgeable about mountaineering as he was. He also stated that she appeared stable when a police helicopter arrived a few hours before he chose to leave her.
Plumberger could have faced a maximum of three years in prison, and the verdict remains open to appeal.
