Viral Webcam Footage Shows Man Leaving Girlfriend on Freezing Mountain Before Her Death

shocking series of webcam images has gone viral after appearing to show the moment a man left his girlfriend behind in freezing conditions on one of Austria’s highest peaks, ultimately leading to her death.

Authorities confirmed that the woman died in January on the 12,460-foot Grossglockner mountain after setting out on a climbing tour with her 36-year-old partner.

According to investigators, trouble began when the couple were just 165 feet (50 meters) from the summit. The woman reportedly became exhausted and was unable to continue the ascent.

Her partner then made the fateful decision to leave her alone on the mountain for 6.5 hours while he attempted to descend and get help. The extreme temperatures, however, proved fatal before rescuers could reach her.

Images published by Heute show two climbers glowing brightly on webcam footage at around 6 p.m. on January 18. By the early hours, the lights had dimmed as their batteries ran low—mirroring the woman’s deteriorating condition.

Footage later revealed the boyfriend continuing his descent around 2:30 a.m., struggling through deep, freezing snow—while his partner remained behind with limited equipment.

At 7:10 a.m., a rescue helicopter attempted to reach the stranded woman, but high winds forced the crew to abandon the mission.
Three hours later, a six-member rescue team began their ascent. When they finally reached the location, the woman had already died from exposure.

Following the discovery, authorities arrested the boyfriend. He is now charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and could face up to three years in prison if convicted.

A statement released by the prosecutor’s office said: “At approximately 2am, the defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic, and disoriented about 50 meters below the summit cross of the Großglockner.

“The woman froze to death. Since the defendant, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour.”