Austrian police are investigating a German man after he left his 17-year-old girlfriend alone on the Zugspitze at temperatures of -12 degrees Celsius

Austrian police are investigating a 21-year-old German man suspected of endangering public safety after leaving his 17-year-old girlfriend alone on Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. The incident took place on Sunday, in temperatures below -12 degrees Celsius.

The two set out in the early hours from the resort of Ehrwald in the Austrian province of Tyrol to watch the sunrise from the summit of Zugspitze, at an altitude of 2,962 meters. The weather quickly deteriorated, and the pair made their way through snow reaching their knees. They later separated, and the man descended alone. The reason for the separation is not yet clear.

The teenager called emergency services and was found at an altitude of approximately 2,500 meters. Seven mountain rescuers intervened, and a helicopter evacuated her from the mountain. The young woman was suffering from hypothermia and was taken to the hospital in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, from where she was later discharged.

In Austria, endangering another person’s physical safety can be punished by up to three months in prison. Once the investigation is complete, police will send the report to prosecutors in Innsbruck, who will decide whether a crime was committed.

The case recalls the death of a woman on Grossglockner in January 2025, after her partner left her alone on the mountain. The man was convicted of negligent manslaughter through gross negligence.