Jake Whisenant, a 30-year-old rock climber who set a speed record on one of El Capitan's renowned routes in Yosemite National Park, has died in an accident in California's Sierra Nevada. His death has drawn attention within the climbing community given his notable achievement on one of the world's most challenging big-wall climbing sites.

Whisenant died on 3 August, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division, though authorities have not disclosed the circumstances of the accident. Further details about the incident have yet to be released.