Climbing Star Falls to His Death While Summiting Yosemite’s El Capitan

An Alaskan climber fell to his death while summiting Yosemite National Park’s famous El Capitan on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Jeanine Girard-Moorman confirmed the death of her 23-year-old son, Balin Miller, in a Facebook post alongside a short video showing photos of him taken throughout the years. He had been live-streaming his climb of El Capitan in the days before his death.

“It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son Balin Miller died during a climbing accident today,” Girard-Moorman wrote over the video. “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.”

“The mountain took my Balin today — I will never recover,” she added in the post’s caption.

Girard-Moorman learned about Miller’s death in a phone call from park rangers, according to Alaska News Source. “My whole world just fell apart, and it’s tough,“ she told the outlet. ”There’s no greater pain than losing your child in such a horrific way.”

Miller’s death came on the first day of the federal government shutdown, which left national parks “generally” open, with limited operations and closed visitor centers, ABC News and the Associated Press reported. 

The National Park Service said in a statement obtained by the outlets that they are investigating Miller’s death, while adding that “park rangers and emergency personnel responded immediately.”

Miller’s death is the third fatality in the park this summer, per ABC News. An 18-year-old from Texas died while climbing without a rope earlier this year, followed by a 19-year-old woman who died in August after being struck by a tree branch while hiking. 

El Capitan is described on the Yosemite Mariposa County website as being over 3,000 feet above the valley floor, making it “one of the world’s ultimate challenges” for adventure seekers and requiring years of training to tackle.

The circumstances of Miller’s death are currently unconfirmed. Social media tributes have poured in from fans who watched his TikTok livestream for two days before his death, while referring to him as “orange tent guy.”

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It has been alleged that he was lead rope soloing — a way to climb alone while still protected by a rope — on a 2,400-foot (730-meter) route named Sea of Dreams, ABC News reported, citing his older brother Dylan. It is believed that Miller then rappelled off the end of his rope while hauling up his gear.

Tom Evans, a photographer who was in Yosemite at the time, recounted similar thoughts about how the tragedy unfolded on Facebook.

“Yesterday, a climber finished his climb of the Sea of Dreams, on ElCap, and was hauling his bag up the last pitch when it became stuck,” Evans wrote. “So, he went down his lead line to clear it. His rope didn’t reach the bags location by many feet, but he seemed unaware of that fact. On the way down, he rappelled off the end of the rope.

“He was a young man, highly regarded among the best climbers here,” Evans continued. “I photographed him for many days on the climb and spoke with him earlier. Many climbers on the wall saw the tragedy unfold. These things happen from time to time but the pain never passes. Rest in peace, Balin Miller.”

Girard-Moorman told ABC News that her son had been “climbing since he was a young boy,” adding that “his heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb and it was never about money and fame.”

She revealed to Alaska News Source that he often sought out challenges, including ice climbing in Alaska, Montana and Canada.

“He knew the risks, but I don’t think he was ready. You know, I mean, I guess that’s kind of silly, most people aren’t ready to die if you’re mentally healthy,” she said, per Alaska News Source. “He did not want to die. He wasn’t ready to die. But he did die doing what he loved, for sure.”