- cross-posted to:
- europa@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- europa@lemmy.world
More than a year after a 33-year-old woman froze to death on Austria’s highest mountain, her boyfriend goes on trial on Thursday accused of gross negligent manslaughter.
Kerstin G died of hypothermia on a mountain climbing trip to the Grossglockner that went horribly wrong. Her boyfriend is accused of leaving her unprotected and exhausted close to the summit in stormy conditions in the early hours of 19 January 2025, while he went to get help.
The trial has sparked interest and debate, not just in Austria but in mountain climbing communities far beyond its borders.
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What is weird is the phone in silent and him not trying to contact for help. Mobile coverage maps shows that this area is under coverage. From a personal experience, when It’s really cold I usually put on every piece of clothes I can once I stop moving. Even get in my sleeping bag if necessary.
I’d be curious to hear the other side of the story. The phone on silence is what “police allege”, and mobile coverage maps are often exaggerated for marketing, not to mention being in a big storm could affect service.
It’s possible his phone was not working, and he kept going until he got service.
Look, I don’t live in Austria, I live in Switzerland, but I’m pretty sure it’s similar in our neighbour. The coverage might be true, there aren’t actually a lot of places without basic coverage, keep in mind we are both much smaller counties than the US for example. Him not noticing calls seems to me the more likely (good-faith) reason.
Yeah in altitude I rarely had no coverage. I’m usually offline when you’re between mountains deep in a valley. Also even I that usually don’t go much more than 1400m altitude I have a garmin GPS with the inreach thing with the sos button. It’s because I usually go alone. So just in case
Arctic mountains… unexplored deep caves… diving into oceanic trenches… I feel like if you do any of these things, you are solely responsible if you get hurt or die, and that people do these things because they are so dangerous.
Either she was an experienced climber and made the decision to enter a dangerous, life-threatening situation, or she wasn’t, and he dragged her into it. It seems like everyone is saying she’s the former except these prosecutors who are looking to paint her as a victim, when she had the skill and experience to make that decision, and chose poorly.
Her footwear selection (light snowboarding boots) might indicate she’s on the wrong side of the knowledge curve. Dunning Krueger is a bitch sometimes. But I read elsewhere that her family is standing by him, and I assume there’s a reason for that.
During the court trial, a witness testified that he had essentially done the same thing to her. He took her on excessively difficult hikes with inadequate equipment, then talked her into continuing, only to leave her crying and distressed in the middle of the night on the Grossglockner.
Ye olde question is : did he recently take out a life insurance policy on her?
That’s a tough call. Sounds to me that it was reckless to climb the mountain under those conditions but both decided to go ahead. Nevertheless, the reaction of the accused to the emergency is bad. Calling the police and then putting his phone on silent makes little sense. Leaving her to “get help” is of course futile.
Arguably the extreme weather could have altered his mind and he made irrational decisions because of hypoxia. But you take responsibility of the actions you take after you chose to drink alcohol, so I presume atleast to some extent for known and consistent conditions that should have been accounted for you take responsibility for the potential altered mind state.
Yes, I think it’s important to consider how extreme the situation was. You mentioned the external conditions. It’s also fair to say that it’s difficult to do the right thing in an emergency of this magnitude. We know he handled it badly but we’re not freezing on a mountain at midnight with our exhausted girlfriend.
Snowboard boots…for winter mountain climbing. Scarpa, Mammut, Lowa, etc…Prosecute the dumbfuck.
I misread it as Australia’s highest mountain. Was thinking it would be a bit awkward when you can still see her from the car park…
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Mountaineering is dangerous and expensive.
I don’t have much sympathy for the people that use their excess wealth for thrills while children go without food and education.
This is honestly something that you should speak to a therapist about.
You are posting this from a computer or smart phone, a device that costs a significant amount of money. You are wasting your leisure time that you have because of your comfortable wealth and status in society to post to an online platform which doesn’t contribute anything to the world. You are richer than most people on the planet. You are wasting the opportunities given to you as a rich person. You could sell your electronic devices and give the money to the poor. You could be volunteering right now helping less fortunate people. Instead you comment on social media that people who are slightly richer than you don’t deserve sympathy for their deaths. People who are actually out in the world living their lives exploring the world and enriching themselves.
Is it really right to be judging someone in this way? In the way that I have just judged you?
From the beginning you dismiss the argument as a mental health problem. This is something a disingenuous asshole does.
Comparing the ridiculous amount of money people waste on mountain climbing to someone’s personal computing device you must have to participate in modern society has to be one of the stupidest nonsensical arguments I have ever seen.
Then, on social media yourself no less, you try to play the morally superior one by pointing out supposed hypocrisy. Weak sauce garbage.
You didn’t judge anything, but you did show you act like a dishonest bullshitter.
I’m not morally superior, I was showing how stupid of an argument it was by making the same argument.
That person’s comment is a mental health issue.
I am an asshole.
Go outside or read a book at least.
Idk what the original post was because it’s deleted by now, but having internet connection doesn’t make you “rich” in 2026. A lot of homeless people have smart phones. A cheap smartphone is a minuscule one-time expense compared to the ongoing costs of food and housing. There are often plenty of sources of free WiFi so you don’t even need to pay a phone bill.
You’re upset that I criticized how wealthy people waste their wealth on vain endeavors while children live in poverty.
No, man. Introspect a little.
No, I said that you should speak to a therapist. You seemed like you are jealous of others and insecure about the impact that you have on the world. Compared to most people on this planet you are almost certainly a wealthy person , or else you wouldn’t have the luxury to be wasting your time making these comments in this place.
Your comments are literally a vain endeavour.
You’re the one who needs a therapist. Look at how upset you’re getting and how much nonsense you need to make up because someone else criticized how wealthy people waste their money.
I’m missing the part where I’m upset 🤣.
You are deep in denial, deflecting and refusing to engage with the things that I wrote. Calling it nonsense rather than reflecting on yourself.
It does not cost me emotional energy to dismantle your argument.
Ok, buddy.
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There is value in exploring hobbies and building skills. For example, during natural disasters in remote areas, people with experience are better suited to go in and help. People with climbing experience might be going down into a collapsed mine to rescue survivors.
