Mountaineer Charged After Webcam Shows Partner Left To Freeze Near Austria’s Highest Peak

Mountaineer Faces Manslaughter Charge After Partner Found Dead Near Grossglockner Summit

Austrian prosecutors have charged a 39-year-old man with grossly negligent manslaughter after his 33-year-old girlfriend was found dead below the summit of Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. The pair’s night-time ascent on Jan. 18 was captured by a publicly accessible webcam operated by foto-webcam.eu and later reviewed by investigators.

The couple set out for the 12,460-foot (3,798 m) summit via the Studlgrat route. Webcam footage shows their headlamps as they climbed; by about 8:50 p.m. local time they were stalled roughly 50 meters (about 165 feet) below the summit cross. Conditions deteriorated overnight, with temperatures below freezing and winds of roughly 45 mph (72 km/h).

Prosecutors say the woman became exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented. "The defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented about 50 meters below the summit cross of the Grossglockner. The woman froze to death," authorities said when they announced the charges on Dec. 4.

According to the indictment, the 39-year-old — described by prosecutors as the more experienced climber who planned the route — allegedly failed to shelter his partner or wrap her in emergency aluminum blankets, and at times turned his phone off. Footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the man's headlamp descending the mountain alone while the woman's light later went dark when its battery depleted.

Rescuers attempted to contact the pair during the night; prosecutors say the man made contact with mountain rescue around 3:30 a.m. but again switched his phone off at times. The woman was located by rescuers at approximately 10 a.m. the following morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors also allege the party started the tour about two hours later than planned and that the man did not bring adequate emergency equipment. Because he organized the winter ascent and had more alpine experience, authorities say he was the responsible guide. His trial is reported to be scheduled for February; if convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.

Note: The charges and timeline come from the public prosecutor’s office and local reporting. Court proceedings may provide further details and context.