Climbing influencer, 23, plunges to his death on livestream while trying to climb Yosemite's El Capitan
A popular climber has tragically plunged to his death tackling Yosemite's El Capitan while on live-stream.
Balin Miller, a famed climber from Alaska, died while attempting to climb the famous Californian summit on Wednesday (October 1).
It is reported the 23-year-old had been live-streaming his mission in tackling the 3,000 foot rock formation in the days before his death and comes as the third tragedy to Yosemite National Park this summer.
His grief-stricken mom, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, said her son had been climbing since he was a child.
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"His heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb and it was never about money and fame," as per Associated Press.
Balin's mom also confirmed his passing in a post on Facebook.
Alongside a video made of photographs of her son over the years, she wrote: "It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son Balin Miller died during a climbing accident today.
"My heart is shattered in a million pieces. I don’t know how I will get through this.
"I love him so much," she added with three heart emojis. "I want to wake up from this horrible nightmare.”
In the caption, she added: "The mountain took my Balin today — I will never recover."
The mom reportedly came to learn about her son's demise after being contacted by park rangers, reports Alaska's News Source.
Speaking to the outlet, Jeanine added: "My whole world just fell apart, and it’s tough.
”There’s no greater pain than losing your child in such a horrific way."
While the circumstances of his death are yet to be determined, his brother Dylan said Balin was rope soloing, meaning he was climbing alone though still protected with a rope, on a 2,400-foot stretch called the Sea of Dreams.
It is believed he accidentally came off the end of the rope while hauling up his gear.
The devastating news came on the first day of the federal government shutdown of national parks which while left many 'generally' open, services were limited and visitor centers closed.
The National Park Service (NPS), responsible for 443 sites, said on Tuesday this week that it was placing more than half its employees on furlough or leave.
Conservation groups argued that the sites being kept open put visitors at risk.
However, the NPS said that 'park rangers and emergency personnel responded immediately' to the emergency on Wednesday.
Balin's death also comes as an 18-year-old from Texas died after climbing without a rope earlier this year as well as a woman, 19, who died in August after reportedly being struck by a tree branch.
The infamous granite monolith is described on the Yosemite Mariposa County website as 'one of the world's ultimate challenges' and demands years of expert training to take it on.
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