21-year-old allegedly left 17-year-old girl alone on Zugspitze; police investigate

Night ascent from Ehrwald

Tyrolean police are investigating a 21-year-old man from Bavaria for suspected endangerment of physical safety, after he allegedly left his 17-year-old companion from Baden-Württemberg alone on the Zugspitze. According to police, the two friends set out from Ehrwald in Tyrol at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, 1 November, intending to watch the sunrise from the summit of Germany's highest mountain. Winter conditions stopped them. It was snowing, the temperature stood at minus 12 degrees Celsius, and the pair sank in places into knee-deep snow at around 2,500 metres, well short of the 2,962-metre peak. They had chosen the Stopselzieher via ferrata, which is considered easy, but continuing then seemed too dangerous to them.

Separation and helicopter rescue

The pair then split up. The 17-year-old stayed behind and made an emergency call, while the 21-year-old descended alone. Police declined to say how the two explained the decision or whether it had been a joint one, pointing to the ongoing inquiry. Because the weather initially ruled out an air rescue, seven mountain rescuers from Ehrwald set off on foot from the mountain station of the Zugspitze cable car. The recovery was eventually carried out by a police helicopter. The teenager, who was chilled, was taken to the Klinikum Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and she left after an initial examination, unhurt.

Investigation and possible penalties

Tyrolean police confirmed the investigation on Thursday, 5 November. Once the inquiry is complete, the file goes to the public prosecutor's office in Innsbruck, which decides whether a criminal offence exists. Under Austrian law, endangering someone's physical safety can be punished with up to three months in prison. Reports also recall the January 2025 case on the Großglockner, where a 33-year-old climber froze just below Austria's highest summit. According to the account of her companion, he had left her behind to organise help.

Who pays for the rescue

Who will cover the cost of the rescue is still open. Both climbers are members of the German Alpine Association (DAV) and are insured through UKV, with restrictions. DAV spokesperson Julian Rohn told the Tiroler Tageszeitung that the policy excludes damage caused by grossly negligent conduct, and that the insurer will decide whether that applies.

“The UKV policy terms state that damage caused by persons through grossly negligent conduct is not covered.”

The secretary general of the Austrian Alpine Club, Clemens Matt, considers the debate overblown. He said leaving an exhausted person alone was out of the question for him, but that each situation has to be judged individually.

“That is already very far-fetched from our point of view, because who decides where this gross negligence even begins?”

A second case that weekend

Separately, 20 Minuten reported a second incident the same weekend on the Hochkönig. Mountain rescuers recovered an exhausted 20-year-old from the Königsjodler via ferrata, which the report describes as one of the hardest in the Eastern Alps. The operation at 2,600 metres lasted 14 hours. His two companions had continued toward the summit.