Alaskan climber Balin Miller dies in El Capitan rappelling incident

Balin Miller, a 23-year-old Alaskan climber known for high-profile solo ascents, died Wednesday after falling while rappelling near the top of the Sea of Dreams route on the southeast face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, his mother said. Family members and eyewitnesses said Miller fell after rappelling off the end of his rope while attempting to free a haul bag that had become stuck below his anchor.

Miller’s mother, Jeanine GirardMoorman, confirmed his death in a social media post, writing, "My heart is shattered in a million pieces." Photographers and a livestream operator at the base of El Capitan provided accounts of the incident. Photographer Tom Evans said Miller descended his rope without realizing it would not reach the location of the stuck haul bag and then rappelled off the end of the line. A livestreamer, who had been following Miller’s ascent with a scope and phone, said viewers watched the fall in real time and that he and Evans called emergency services after the accident.

Rangers responded to the site, officials said, though the National Park Service had not issued a formal report as of Thursday. The response occurred on the first day of a federal...