Rock Climbing Prodigy, Twenty-Three, Dies After Falling from Yosemite National Park's El Capitan
A young Alaskan mountaineering personality has died after plummeting from El Capitan, a celebrated vertical rock formation in the state of California's Yosemite National Park.
The 23-year-old climber, 23, was live-streamed on TikTok climbing up and subsequently plummeting from the massive rock on Wednesday.
In an emotional social media post confirming her son's death, his parent expressed: "My heart is broken into countless fragments. I don't know how I will endure this. I love him so much. I want to wake up from this terrible dream."
Circumstances of the Incident
Specifics of what caused the tragedy are still uncertain, but his sibling Dylan revealed he was lead rope soloing - a method that enables climbing alone while still protected by a safety line - on a 2,400ft route named Sea of Dreams.
After completing the climb and was hauling up equipment when he likely descended past the termination of his rope, Dylan said.
Tom Evans who witnessed the fall reported he dialed 911 after Miller tried to free his backpack, which was snagged on a rock.
Background of the Young Climber
Originally from Alaska, Miller was raised climbing with his father and sibling.
He was an experienced alpinist and gained global recognition for achieving the first solo ascent of Mount McKinley's Slovak Direct, which required 56 hours to finish, as mentioned in a post on his Instagram in June.
"He's had likely among the most remarkable last six months of climbing of any climber I can think of," veteran alpinist Clint Helander informed a publication in mid-summer.
A second famous Alaskan climber Mark Westman likened him to the famous free soloist, who became the initial individual to climb without ropes a full route on El Capitan.
Recent Achievements and Moniker
Miller had devoted several weeks climbing alone in South America and the Canadian mountain range, completing a notoriously difficult frozen ascent called Reality Bath, which had been not duplicated for over three decades, according to a specialist magazine.
He was known fondly as the "Guy with the Orange Tent", due to his unique campsite at the bottom of the rock face.
El Capitan and Park Incident Record
The massive formation, an enormous sheer granite wall of approximately 3,000 feet, is a significant landmark in the park and entices elite climbers from globally.
This tragedy marks the third at the Californian park this year. In early summer, an teenager from Texas lost his life in the area while ascending unroped on a different formation.
And in late summer, a young adult trekker succumbed to injuries after being struck in the skull by a sizeable tree branch.
Investigation
Park authorities stated in a statement that they were looking into the event and "officials and first responders acted promptly."
