Two German climbers are reportedly under police investigation in Austria after allegedly leaving a struggling companion behind during a mountain ascent, exposing him to potentially fatal freezing conditions.
Local media reports say the three men began tackling the Königsjodler route in the Hochkönig range on Saturday afternoon, despite an unfavorable weather forecast and a warning from another mountaineer.
At an altitude of around 8,500 feet, one of the climbers became too exhausted to continue. His two companions nevertheless carried on, eventually reaching the summit at approximately 9,600 feet.
Mountain rescuers in Mühlbach were alerted to an exhausted climber and began a demanding operation that continued for 14 hours.
The stranded man was ultimately brought to safety. Gerhard Kremser, district manager of the Pongau Mountain Rescue Service, said the climber probably would not have survived the night in such conditions.
According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, police have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Wolfgang Haggenmüller, the Mühlbach rescue service’s operations chief and local station manager, said severe weather significantly complicated the team’s efforts.
“Even reaching the area was extremely difficult for our rescue team because of the weather conditions,” he said.
Members of a mountain rescue team search for a climber who was reportedly left behind after struggling to reach the summit
Severe weather conditions extended the rescue operation to 14 hours
The exhausted climber was eventually returned to safety
In a post on Instagram, the rescue team said about 20 centimeters of snow had fallen, covering the route and leaving the path difficult to identify. The conditions created a serious risk of falling and made navigation extremely challenging.
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“It was life-threatening for everyone. In heavy snowfall and severely limited visibility, our team did not reach the Erichhütte until 8:18 a.m.,” the team said.
Kremser said the rescue highlighted how quickly overconfidence, ignoring warnings and failing to plan a route properly can turn a climb into a life-threatening emergency. “Mountaineering also means knowing when to turn back,” he added.
The case follows a separate incident in Austria in which a man was convicted of grossly negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend froze to death while the pair attempted to climb the country’s highest mountain.
Thomas Plamberger, 39, received a five-month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay a €9,600 fine after a one-day trial at Innsbruck state court in February.
Plamberger and his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, had set out for the Grossglockner in western Austria in January 2025.
Prosecutors said Gurtner died roughly 164 feet below the 12,460-foot summit after Plamberger left her behind. He denied the charge and pleaded not guilty.
Members of the mountain rescue team make their way up the snow-covered mountain
Judge Norbert Hofer said Plamberger had badly misjudged the situation, but concluded that he had not deliberately abandoned his girlfriend. The judge also noted that her mountaineering experience was “galaxies” behind his own.
The sentence was well short of the maximum three years in prison.
‘I don’t see you as a murderer, I don’t see you as a cold-hearted man,’ he said. ‘I see you as the one who ultimately tried to call help and stand by his girlfriend.’
However, the judge said that the defendant had failed to take his ‘leadership responsibility.’
He said the woman would almost certainly have survived ‘if the appropriate measures had been taken,’ for example making an emergency call earlier or turning back.