Climber, 23, falls to death from Yosemite's El Capitan on livestream as horrified fans watch
A US climber has fallen to his death while live streaming himself climbing Yosemite national park's iconic El Capitan rock.
Climber Balin Miller built a following online through sharing himself summiting mountains around the world, and had been filming himself climbing the 7,573 feet sheer rock-face when tragedy struck on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old had been solo climbing along a 2,400-foot route named Sea of Dreams for several days, and fell while lowering himself down to retrieve a bag filled with his equipment that had gotten stuck.
However, Miller appeared to be unaware of the fact that his rope was not long enough to reach the bag and fell, according to an account from photographer Tom Evans, who was in Yosemite when the tragedy unfolded.
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Miller's fatal climb had been broadcast to his followers on TikTok, who referred to him as the 'orange tent guy' due to the colour of his equipment.
The accident occurred during the first day of the US federal government shutdown, although national parks such as Yosemite had remained 'generally open' with limited operations.
His death was later confirmed in a post on Facebook by his mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman, who wrote the following message: "It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son Balin Miller died during a climbing accident today.
"My heart is shattered in a million pieces. I don’t know how I will get through this. I love him so much. I want to wake up from this horrible nightmare."
Paying tribute to her son, the grieving mother added: "He’s been climbing since he was a young boy.
"His heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb and it was never about money and fame."
Miller had been an accomplished climber for his age, becoming the first person to solo climb the 9,000-foot the challenging 'Slovak Direct' route in Alaska's Denali mountain. He had also completed climbs in Patagonia, Alaska's Mount Hunter, and the Canadian Rockies.
"He loved to climb," she added in an interview via The New York Times. "He was so well loved by so many people. I can’t believe he’s gone."
According to The Guardian, Miller had starting climbing with his father at the age of three in his home state of Alaska. By the age of 12, he was completing ice climbing routes.
Tributes to the young climber have since begun to pour in across social media, with several people sharing their condolences on his Instagram page. "May you forever rest in peace and climb the highest with the almighty," wrote one person.
"Just heard. Deviated [sic]. Sending thoughts for your family," penned a second, while a third added: "Farewell to a legend."
Topics: US News, Extreme Sports
Brenna Cooper