A young Alaskan social media climber has passed away after plummeting from El Capitan, a renowned vertical rock formation in the state of California's Yosemite park.
The 23-year-old climber, twenty-three, was broadcast live on the social media platform ascending and then falling from the massive rock on Wednesday.
Through a heartfelt online message announcing her child's passing, his parent said: "My heart is shattered into countless fragments. I have no idea how I will endure this. I love him so much. I wish I could awaken from this awful nightmare."
Circumstances of the Accident
Details of the cause behind the tragedy are unclear, but his sibling Dylan indicated he was lead rope soloing - a method that enables climbing alone while still protected by a safety line - on a 2,400ft route called Sea of Dreams.
He had finished the ascent and was hauling up equipment when he likely descended past the termination of his line, Dylan said.
A Yosemite-based photographer who witnessed Miller fall reported he dialed emergency services after Miller tried to free his bag, which was snagged on a rock.
Climbing History of the Young Climber
Originally from Alaska, the young alpinist was raised climbing with his dad and sibling.
He was an experienced mountaineer and earned global recognition for claiming the initial solo climb of Denali's Slovak Direct, which took him 56 hours to finish, according to a update on his Instagram in the summer.
"He's had probably one of the most impressive recent half-year of climbing of any climber I can think of," veteran alpinist Clint Helander informed a publication in July.
Another famous mountaineer from Alaska an elite climber compared him to Alex Honnold, who was the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan.
Recent Accomplishments and Moniker
Miller had spent weeks climbing alone in Patagonia and the Canadian Rockies, completing a extremely challenging ice climb named Reality Bath, which had been not duplicated for 37 years, as reported by a specialist magazine.
He was known affectionately as the "Orange Tent Guy", because of his unique tent setup at the bottom of El Capitan.
The Granite Monolith and Yosemite Safety Record
The massive formation, an enormous vertical granite rock face of roughly 915 meters, is a major feature in the park and entices big-wall rock climbers from all over the world.
This tragedy represents the third fatality at the Californian park this year. In early summer, an teenager from the southern state lost his life in the park while climbing unroped on a separate rock.
And in late summer, a young adult trekker succumbed to injuries after being hit in the head by a sizeable falling limb.
Official Response
The National Park Service said in a statement that they were looking into the event and "officials and first responders responded immediately."
