Featured Image Credit: Evgeniia Siiankovskaia via Getty
One climber has been found guilty in court after leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death on Austria's highest mountain, despite his claims that she told him to go on and leave her.
Mountain climbing is incredibly dangerous despite its popularity, and you only need to look at videos shared on social media to see how much it can affect the human body, pushing it to the point of shutting down.
Many of the toughest and tallest mountains require climbers to go with a specially trained guide, and it's highly recommended that you're always paired with at least one other person in the event that something goes wrong.
That's what has left one now notorious climber, named only 'Thomas P' in courts, in trouble with the law, as he has now been found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter following the death of his girlfriend last year.
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As reported by the BBC, his girlfriend – referred to in court as Kerstin G – died while attempting a climb of the 3,798-meter-tall Grossglockner, suffering from hypothermia as strong winds of around 74 km/h (45 mph) were paired with blisteringly cold temperatures dropping below -8C, equating to a windchill temperature of -20C.
Thomas P has found himself in trouble with the law as a consequence of his girlfriend's death, however, as while he claims that she told him to 'go and get help', the court has taken a different position.
Norbert Hofer, the judge in the case, is an experienced climber himself, and he expressed doubt that Thomas P's account was entirely truthful, as photos of the position she was found in could suggest that she had fallen at some point.
Prosecutors argued that, as the 'responsible guide for the tour' considering the experience difference between the pair, Thomas P had failed to turn back or call for help within an appropriate time considering the situation his girlfriend had found herself in — especially as evidence of pneumonia had been found within her body.
Hofer, however, believes that Thomas P is not a 'murderer', nor is he 'cold hearted', taking into account his previous clean record and his close relationship with the deceased into the verdict.
Additionally, a former girlfriend of Thomas P – referred to as Andrea B – also claimed that he left her alone during a similar climb up Grossglockner after feeling dizzy, describing how she was left 'screaming and crying' after he left her behind.
While the case is still subject to appeal, Thomas P has been found guilty and handed a suspended sentence of five months, alongside a €9,000 ($10,593) fine.
