Climbing influencer, 23, plunges to his death from Yosemite's El Capitan while livestreaming on TikTok
Tributes have flooded in for Balin Miller, an experienced alpinist who earned international attention for his impressive climbs.
A 23-year-old influencer has left fans in shock after he plunged to his death from Yosemite National Park's El Capitan during a TikTok livestream.
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Onlookers watched on in horror as Balin Miller plummeted from the Californian mountain while filming his climb on Wednesday.
He made it to the summit but he had to retrieve his bags as they got stuck on a rock as he was hoisting them up.
It was at the point that he fatally fell in a horrific accident caught on camera.
His heartbroken mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman confirmed yesterday that Balin died in the fall.
She wrote on Facebook: “It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son Balin Miller died during a climbing accident today.
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“My heart is shattered in a million pieces. I don't know how I will get through this.
"I love him so much. I want to wake up from this horrible nightmare,” she said.
More tributes have flooded in for Balin, an experienced alpinist who earned international attention for claiming the first solo ascent of Mount McKinley's Slovak Direct.
In June, the Alaskan posted Instagram photos of his climb up the notoriously difficult route that took him 56 hours to complete.
His brother Dylan said: “He has inspired so many people to do things that are perhaps unthinkable, including myself. I can't imagine climbing ever again without him.”
His followers gave nicknamed Balin "orange tent guy" due to his brightly coloured camp setup at El Capitan.
One follower wrote on Instagram: "I watched his journey up El Cap the last four days of his climb through a TikTok livestream.
"He was right at the summit and we were all so excited for him. It's so unfair.
Balin also spent weeks climbing in Patagonia and the Canadian Rockies alone, conquering another challenging ice climb dubbed Reality Bath.
His death at El Capitan, a huge granite rock face of approximately 3,000 feet (915 meters), is the third at the Yosemite National Park this year.
