Fraud or accident? The boyfriend left his girlfriend to die on a snowy mountain, now standing in the dock

Boyfriend left Girlfriend to die on Freezing Mountain: A journey of love and adventure turned into a painful tale of death and betrayal. A boyfriend left his girlfriend alone in a difficult situation on a snowy mountain peak in Austria, where the girl died due to cold. This heart-wrenching incident took place this year, on January 19, 2025, but now its layers are being revealed. The deceased woman has been identified as 33-year-old Kerstin Gertner, who called herself ‘Winter Child’ and ‘Daughter of the Mountains’ on social media. It is alleged that her 39-year-old experienced mountaineering boyfriend, Thomas Plenberger, left her alone when she needed help most. What happened on that snowy night? On January 19, the couple was climbing Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner. They started their climb two hours behind schedule and soon found themselves caught in extremely bad weather. The temperature had dropped to -20°C and gale force winds were blowing. Just 150 feet below the summit, Kerstin was exhausted and suffering from hypothermia. His thinking power also started failing. Prosecutors allege that at around 2 a.m., Thomas allegedly went down to seek help, leaving his girlfriend in the same snow storm. Shockingly, he had an emergency aluminum blanket and rescue bag with him, which he could have used to save Kerstin from the cold, but he did not do so. The investigation revealed that Thomas was grossly negligent in calling for help: When a police helicopter passed nearby at about 10:50 pm, he did not signal for help. He made the first call to the emergency services. A trail camera recorded him descending the mountain alone at 2:30 am. About an hour later, at 3:30 am, he called the emergency services again. The rescue team was able to reach the spot only the next morning due to bad weather, but it was too late. Kerstin had died of cold. Now there will be 3 years in jail? Thomas Plenberger has been arrested and has been charged not with murder but with manslaughter due to gross negligence. Prosecutors say that Thomas had planned the entire climb, so he was responsible for Kerstin’s safety. If he is found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years. However, his lawyer says that it was a very unfortunate and tragic accident. The hearing of this case will be held on 19 February 2026. Kerstin’s family and friends have created an online memorial page for her, where people are paying tribute to her. The family has appealed to the people to avoid making any kind of allegations or speculations in this matter.