Webcam Captures Final Hours: Mountaineer Charged After Partner Freezes Near Austria’s Highest Peak

Mountaineer Faces Charges After Partner Dies on Grossglockner

An experienced 36-year-old climber from Salzburg has been formally charged with manslaughter and gross negligence after his 33-year-old partner died from hypothermia near the summit of Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain. Prosecutors allege a series of critical decisions and omissions during a winter ascent on 18 January left the woman exposed to lethal conditions.

What Happened

The couple reached roughly 150 feet (about 50 metres) from the 12,460-foot (3,798-metre) summit during an evening ascent. At around 8:50 pm the woman collapsed from exhaustion and told her partner she could not continue. Investigators say the man descended to seek help but did not return for more than six hours; during that interval the woman succumbed to extreme cold.

Evidence From Webcams

Public webcam images recorded the late-evening sequence. At about 6:00 pm the pair's headlamps are visible as they climb toward the summit. A frame taken several hours later shows a reduced patch of light as the torches began to fail. A subsequent image appears to show the man, still with a working headlamp, traversing the ridge in an effort to descend the far side, leaving his partner alone.

Rescue Efforts

The following morning a helicopter was dispatched at about 7:00 am but the mission was aborted because of strong gusts. A ground rescue team reached the site roughly three hours later and pronounced the woman dead.

Charges and Allegations

Prosecutors in Innsbruck have accused the climber of committing nine cardinal errors that contributed to the death. Among the allegations are that he undertook a difficult winter high-altitude tour with an inexperienced partner, started the climb later than planned, and ignored severe weather forecasts indicating winds up to 46 mph and temperatures around -8°C with a wind chill nearer -20°C. Investigators also say the couple lacked suitable emergency bivouac equipment and that the woman wore soft snowboard boots unsuited to the terrain.

Other specific accusations include failing to signal or attract attention when a helicopter passed at about 10:50 pm, delaying a call to police until 12:35 am and then putting his phone on silent, leaving the woman exposed without adequate shelter, and not using the emergency blankets or removing her backpack to help slow heat loss.

At approximately 2:00 am, the defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented about 50 metres below the summit cross of the Grossglockner. The woman froze to death. Since the defendant, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour, prosecutors said in a statement.

The defendant faces up to three years in prison if convicted; his trial is scheduled to begin in February in Innsbruck. As with any criminal proceeding, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Context and Safety Notes

The case highlights the risks of winter high-altitude mountaineering and the importance of proper equipment, planning, realistic assessment of partners' experience, and timely emergency procedures. Investigations and the upcoming trial will examine whether the climber's decisions meet the legal threshold for criminal responsibility.