• He left his girlfriend alone near the mountain peak
• He delayed seeking help for hours

The prosecutors accused Kirstin Gurtner’s friend, the woman who died after being left on a mountain, of failing to seek help for several hours after the couple faced difficulties during their climb.

Gurtner, 33, and her friend, 39, had climbed the highest mountain in Austria, Großglockner, in January of this year.

The friend was described as an experienced climber, but they faced difficulties near the peak of the 3,798-meter mountain.

He was charged with involuntary manslaughter due to gross negligence.

The prosecutors accused him of descending the mountain without her, leaving Gurtner alone below the peak where she was later found dead.

The prosecutors said: “Around 2 a.m., the accused left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, suffering from hypothermia, and confused, about 50 meters below the Großglockner summit, where she froze to death.”

They pointed out that Gurtner was inexperienced and not properly equipped for the climb, while her friend was a skilled climber and should have acted as a responsible guide.

The prosecutors confirmed that the couple started late by two hours and faced strong winds during the ascent, creating conditions that should have prompted them to turn back.

They said that they were unable to continue the climb from around 8:50 p.m., yet the man did not call emergency services before nightfall and waited several hours before seeking help.

They added that at 10:50 p.m., a police helicopter flew above them, but he did not send a distress signal or respond despite attempts by the Alpine Police to communicate.

He set his phone to silent and did not make any other calls for nearly three hours.

He finally contacted rescue services at 3:30 a.m.

Rescue efforts began at 7 a.m., but strong winds delayed the teams, and they did not reach the woman until 10 a.m., when she was found dead.

The trial is scheduled to begin next February.