A rock climber known for setting speed records on some of Yosemite National Park's most demanding routes has died following a fall in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

Jake Whisenant, 30, of Mammoth Lakes, California, died August 3, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Coroner Unit. The sheriff's office listed his cause of death as an accident but had not released extensive additional details as of Monday. Tulare County encompasses Sequoia National Park and a stretch of the southern Sierra Nevada, though Whisenant built his reputation primarily through climbs in nearby Yosemite National Park.

According to reporting that cited the coroner's office, Whisenant's preliminary cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma sustained in the fall, with toxicology results still pending as of early this week. Witnesses reportedly saw the fall occur, and authorities have said Whisenant's death appeared to have been instantaneous. The manner of death has been formally ruled an accident, and the specific circumstances surrounding the fall remain under investigation.

Bailee Moore, who described Whisenant as her lifelong friend, confirmed his death publicly and spoke with NBC News on Monday, saying he died while climbing and that details surrounding the fall were still being........

© International Business Times