On 19th January 2025 what should have been an exciting climb to the summit of Austria's tallest mountain instead turned into a nightmarish ordeal for 33 year old Kerstin Gurtner.
Her boyfriend 37 year old Thomas Plamberger who was an experienced climber had suggested they make the trip up to the Grossglockner but it ultimately ended in tragedy.
As a struggling & deteriorating Kerstin was left alone on the mountain without protection from the elements, she succumbed to hypothermia & her avoidable death soon exposed glaring mistakes her boyfriend had made.
Some of which are so unsettling it could well have lasting implications for mountain sports in the future.
Today's case is extremely polarising & Plamberger's lenient sentence despite being found guilty of negligent homicide has sparked a great deal of debate not only in Austria, but around the world.
With the circumstances surrounding Kerstins death raising some disturbing but very important questions.When does personal judgement and risk taking cross the line & when does it become a matter of criminal liability?
Was her death planned & intentional as some people still believe, or was it in-fact another tragic alpine accident ...?
This is episode 164....
Left On A Mountain To Die? The Death Of Kerstin Gurtner
**Crime talk begins 7:57 minutes in
Sources:The guardian.com/ www.nytimes.com/bbc.co.uk/ Reddit/ the Irish Times/ www.exploreweb.com/ YouTube / 7 News Australia/ www.number.com/ Ladbible/ Wikipedia.com
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