Climber who died after falling from Yosemite’s El Capitan named by officials

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A climber has died after falling from El Capitan on Wednesday, according to witnesses who were inside Yosemite National Park at the time.

The Mariposa County Coroner’s Office officially named the victim as 23-year-old Balin Miller. According to the Anchorage Daily News,

Miller grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and was well known for conquering well-known climbs across Alaska and elsewhere in North America.

Miller was trying to free a bag that was stuck on his climb immediately before he fell, according to a Yosemite-area photographer who witnessed his fall. The witness said Miller tried to go down to where the bag was to get it loose, but instead rappelled off the end of the rope and fell to the ground.

The witness, Yosemite-area photographer Tom Evans, described Miller as “a young man, highly regarded among the best climbers.”

Others on social media described Miller as a “fantastic friend” and “a good human.” Miller’s mother also posted on social media that her heart is shattered “in a million pieces.”

YourCentralValley.com has reached out to Yosemite National Park for further information on the investigation. The incident occurred on the first day of reduced services at Yosemite National Park following the federal government shutdown, which limits the information that can be posted on social media and on park websites to allow only “emergency communications.”