A view of El Capitan as hundreds of tourists and photographers flock in Yosemite National Park, California, United States on February 19, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - A prominent Alaskan climber, Balin Miller, has died in a fall from Yosemite National Park's El Capitan, making him the third fatality in the park this summer.
What we know:
Miller, 23, fell to his death from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
His mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, confirmed his passing, stating that his passion was climbing.
The death marks the third fatality in Yosemite this summer.
Previously, an 18-year-old from Texas died while free-soloing on a different formation, and a 29-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree branch.
The National Park Service has confirmed they are investigating the incident and that park rangers and emergency personnel responded immediately.
The accident occurred on the first day of a federal government shutdown, which has resulted in limited operations at national parks.
The backstory:
Miller was an accomplished alpinist who had gained international recognition for his climbs. His older brother, Dylan Miller, said Balin was lead rope soloing on a 2,400-foot route on El Capitan called "sea of dreams."
According to his brother, Balin had finished the climb and was in the process of hauling up his gear when he likely rappelled off the end of his rope.
Miller had recently completed several notable solo climbs, including the first solo ascent of Mount McKinley’s Slovak Direct and a notoriously difficult ice climb in the Canadian Rockies called "reality bath."
He had arrived in Yosemite to climb before a planned trip with his family.
El Capitan, a nearly 3,000-foot granite monolith, is a well-known destination for big-wall climbers worldwide.
In 2017, Alex Honnold completed the first free solo climb of El Capitan, which was documented in the film "Free Solo."
What they're saying:
Balin Miller’s mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, said, "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."
His older brother, Dylan Miller, shared, "He said he felt most alive when he was climbing. I’m his bigger brother but he was my mentor." Dylan also said, "He has inspired so many people to do things that are perhaps unthinkable, including myself. I can’t imagine climbing ever again without him."
Clint Helander, an Alaska alpinist, told the Anchorage Daily News that Miller "had probably one of the most impressive last six months of climbing of anyone that I can think of."
The Source: The information in this article is drawn from direct statements by the climber's family, including his mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, and his older brother, Dylan Miller. It also incorporates information from the National Park Service and an interview with an Alaskan alpinist published in the Anchorage Daily News. FOX News Digital contributed.