COMMUNITY ROCKED

Climbing Star, 23, Falls to His Death From Yosemite’s El Capitan

It’s the third death in the park this year.

Climber ​​Balin Miller has died on El Capitan while 500 people watched in a live stream. The 23-year-old was near the top of Sea of Dreams, a notoriously treacherous route up the 3,000-foot granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. Miller rose to fame within the climbing community this summer following a solo ascent of the 9,000-foot Slovak Direct in his home state, Alaska. Photographer Tom Evans was documenting Miller’s Yosemite climb and was watching as the tragedy unfolded. He noted that a bag got stuck. “His rope didn’t reach the bag’s location by many feet, but he seemed unaware of the fact,” he said. “On the way down, he rappelled off the end of the rope.” Authorities have launched an investigation into the fall, which is the third death in the park this year, Associated Press reported. His mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman said, “His heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb, and it was never about money and fame.” The incident was livestreamed through a telescope by an enthusiast whose name is being reported only as Eric. Five hundred people were watching when he fell, News.com.au reports.