LOS ANGELES—A popular Alaskan climber fell to his death from Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, marking the third death in the park this summer.
Balin Miller, 23, died in a climbing accident Wednesday, his mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman confirmed.
“He’s been climbing since he was a young boy,” she said. “His heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb and it was never about money and fame.”
The death comes on the first day of the federal government shutdown, which left national parks “generally” open, with limited operations and closed visitors centers, according to the National Park Service. The park service said in a statement that they are investigating the incident and “park rangers and emergency personnel responded immediately.”…