A predawn bid to watch the sunrise from Germany’s tallest peak may be turning into a criminal case. The BBC reports that authorities are investigating a 21-year-old German man on suspicion of endangering public safety after his 17-year-old female companion was found stranded on the Zugspitze in temperatures that nearly reached the single digits. The girl called emergency services from about 8,200 feet up and was airlifted off the mountain with hypothermia, then treated and released from a hospital in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The pair had set out on Sunday from Austria’s Ehrwald at around 1:30am local time, per the Mirror. However, they reportedly hit deep snow and abandoned plans to reach the 9,718-foot summit. At some point the two separated and the man descended alone; police haven’t yet detailed why, citing the ongoing probe, per the BBC. It’s reported, however, that the girl had lost her strength, the Independent reports. Once the investigation wraps, a report will go to prosecutors in Innsbruck, who will decide whether to bring charges, per the BBC.