Partner Left Stranded After 21-Year-Old Climber Plunges to Death in Fall Off Devils Tower

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.Photo:Getty

Getty

A 21-year-old rock climber fell to his death last weekend in Wyoming’s Devils Tower National Monument, while his partner was later rescued, authorities announced.

According to a news release from theNational Park Service(NPS), the incident occurred on Sunday, Sept. 22. The agency said that just before 8 p.m. local time, Devils Tower law enforcement were notified about a person who sustained a fall.

About 40 minutes later, responders located the victim, identified as Stewart Phillip Porter, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and his partner.

The NPS said that Porter “was rappelling the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo when he fell, sustaining major injuries,” adding that he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rick Strasser, a ranger with the NPS, told theCasper Star-Tribuneabout the incident: “There wasn’t any equipment malfunction whatsoever, but he was rappelling.”

The victim’s partner, who was not identified, was stranded and subsequently rescued from the Tower’s wall with assistance from Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides, said the agency.

NPS also said that in its more than 100 years of climbing history, the Tower has experienced only seven climbing fatalities. Despite that, the agency said, climbing the Tower is “inherently dangerous.”

The agency also cites theTower’s hundreds of parallel cracks, which makes it suitable for crack climbing.

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“The cracks vary in length and width: some are wide enough to fit your entire body, others barely have room for your fingers; the longest crack extends nearly 400 feet upwards,” said the NPS.

The NPS warned climbers that most accidents and deaths on the Tower happen during the rappel, saying: “The National Park Service does not maintain anchors — inspect all anchors and back them up if necessary,” the agency said in its news release. “Ensure you know the location of your rappel route before you begin. Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks. Avoid knocking loose rock onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your planned rappel before beginning.”

source: people.com