“I couldn’t believe it”: Livestream captures climber Balin Miller’s fatal fall while rappelling Yosemite’s El Capitan

A climber has fallen to his death while rappelling the Sea of Dreams route on El Capitan, Yosemite.

Livestream witness recounts “unbelievable” fall

Miller, an accomplished climber, was ascending the mountain via the Sea of Dreams, a 2400 route known for its challenging conditions. Around lunchtime on Wednesday, Oct. 1, he completed his ascent in front of hundreds of onlookers—many of them online.

One of them was Eric (@mountainscalling.me), a national parks enthusiast who was livestreaming the climb and witnessed the tragic incident unfold. He shared details of what happened in a video posted to TikTok on Oct. 4, which has received over 220K likes and hundreds of thousands more views.

“We were watching him, a few hundred people at that time on the stream, and he did actually get to the top,” he explains. Eric then goes on to explain that Eric briefly descended again to retrieve his bag, which had become caught. “It looked like he was really getting frustrated with the fact it was caught on this ledge,” he said.

“We then saw him repel off the end of his rope. It was unbelievable. I didn’t actually believe that he had fallen off the end of his rope. I assumed that he had just simply fallen down to his next anchor point,” he continued.

Eric then clarified that he witnessed Miller fall the entire length of the mountain to the ground, before 911 was called to the ground and by helicopter. “I couldn’t believe it. I was in absolute shock.”

Commenters poured in to share their tributes and sympathies to “Orange Tent Guy”, as Miller had been nicknamed due to his tent, while others shared messages of support to Eric.

@mountainscalling.me this is what happened. i have seen misleading news reports and want everyone to know exactly what transpired from the sole witness. i did not want this. 🥺 i am heartbroken and deeply affected by what i saw as i know many of you are too. please honor our beloved ⛺️🧡 climber Balin Miller and respect his legacy. 🙏 #yosemite #nationalpark #climbing #elcapitan ♬ original sound – mountainscalling.me

“RIP Balin Miller. My sincerest condolences to his family, friends and the climbing community,” wrote JusticeJones. “Eric, I’m so deeply sorry you witnessed this terrible tragedy, but I’m so thankful you and the other authorities were able to alert the authorities, right away.”

“He didn’t know it, but he wasn’t alone in his final moments,” added Ansley.

“I’m sorry you witnessed that but you are the reason they were able to locate him quickly so that his family and friends are aware of what exactly happened instead of wondering. Please take some time to yourself. RIP Balin Miller,” commented Rina.

Others urged Eric to look after his own mental health, with some suggesting he play Tetris—known to help prevent the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

“I saw that video. I think you’re still in shock. Please take some time, you’ve witnessed a tragic accident. My heart hurts for all who loved him and you,” wrote Cas.

“I’ve never wanted to hug a stranger more,” added someone else.

Who was Balin Miller?

Balin Miller, 23, grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and began climbing with his dad and brother at a young age. He was well known in the climbing community and had received recognition for being the first person to solo climb the Slovak Direct route on Denali.

His family and friends have shared tributes to him across social media.

“Balin was full of life — a true wild card at heart. He lived simply, often out of his silver Prius, scraping together a shoestring income to support his greatest passion: climbing From a young age, his father introduced him to rock climbing, a love he shared with his brother Dylan.”

“Together they carried that passion from the mountains of Alaska, where they grew up, to cliffs and ranges across the world, living a nomadic life in pursuit of adventure,” his mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman shared in a blog post, alongside a picture of Miller.

“He was more than just a climber. Balin was a lover of animals, of laughter, of pure silliness and joy. He had a spark — spastically fun and unpredictably brilliant, with a touch of Robin Williams’ wild energy. Strategic, curious, and endlessly playful, he brought light wherever he went.”