Trending 
American climber Balin Miller has died after falling from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park during what witnesses said was a livestreamed ascent.
The 23-year-old, regarded as a rising name in the climbing world, plunged to his death while attempting to retrieve stuck equipment after completing his climb.
Photographer Tom Evans, who saw the incident unfold, explained on Facebook that Miller had abseiled down his rope to recover a bag.
“His rope didn’t reach the bag’s location by many feet, but he seemed unaware of that fact. On the way down, he rappelled off the end of the rope,” Evans wrote. “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.”
Rappelling, where climbers descend using a rope secured to a higher point, carries risks if precautions are not taken.
Experts advise tying a knot at the end of the rope to prevent slipping off, but some climbers choose not to, fearing the rope may snag.
Miller’s mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, confirmed her son’s death in a heartfelt post on social media, sharing photographs of him throughout his life.
“It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son, Balin Miller, died during a climbing accident today,” she wrote. “My heart is shattered into a million pieces. I don’t know how I will get through this.”
Miller had earned respect within the climbing community for his expeditions in Patagonia and the Sierra Nevada. His solo ascent of the South Face of Denali, the highest peak in North America, had further cemented his reputation.
El Capitan, the 3,000-foot granite wall in Yosemite, is considered one of the world’s most iconic climbing destinations.
It has drawn elite climbers and adventurers from around the globe, including Alex Honnold, whose rope-free climb of the rock face was immortalised in the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo.
