33-Year-Old Froze to Death 50 Meters from Großglockner Summit: 36-Year-Old Companion Accused

He faces up to three years in prison. The accused submitted a written statement in which he "denied any misconduct," the public prosecutor announced in a press release on Thursday. After obtaining forensic reports, evaluating cell phones and sports watches, pictures and videos, and an assessment by an alpine technical expert, the prosecution accused the experienced mountaineer of several errors.

Fatal Großglockner Excursion: Tour Planning and Assistance Under Scrutiny

For instance, the 36-year-old allegedly did not take into account that his girlfriend had never completed an alpine high-altitude tour of this length. He was also accused of choosing the tour on Austria's highest mountain via the Stüdlgrat in winter with a start about two hours too late. Additionally, he did not anticipate an emergency and did not have sufficient bivouac emergency equipment. Even when the man left the woman at 2:00 a.m. to get help, he allegedly did not bring her to a wind-protected place and did not use a bivouac sack or aluminum rescue blankets. The athlete herself also did not have "suitable equipment" for such a tour: She ascended with a splitboard and snowboard soft boots.

According to the public prosecutor, the mountaineering duo should have turned back earlier. Given the prevailing conditions with wind speeds up to 74 km/h and temperatures of minus eight degrees - which felt like minus 20 degrees when combined - they should have "turned back at the so-called 'Frühstücksplatzl' at the latest." The 36-year-old also did not make an emergency call when it got dark. When a helicopter searched for them and flew over at around 10:50 p.m., the 36-year-old also did not give any emergency signals. The alpine police tried several times to reach him. Only around 12:35 a.m. did an "unclear" conversation take place; the accused allegedly had his phone on silent and stored away. At 3:30 a.m., the man finally notified the rescue services after leaving the woman from Salzburg alone below the summit.

The two mountaineers set out on the fateful Glockner ascent at 3,798 meters above sea level from Kals on January 18. The tour was supposed to lead over the Stüdlgrat to the Großglockner and descend over the Kleinglockner or via the Adlersruhe back to the starting point. However, according to the police, they reportedly made slow progress due to "conditioning and technical difficulties." When the woman was too exhausted to continue, the 36-year-old set off for the Adlersruhe or the closed Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte to get help. The alerted mountain rescue team from Kals and alpine police officers finally set out on foot during the night. A helicopter rescue could not be carried out at dawn due to strong winds. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., the mountain rescuers reached the victim and found her already dead.

(APA/Red.)

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