Eau Claire rock climber falls to his death at Wyoming's Devils Tower

 A rock climber from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, tragically fell to his death on Sunday while rappelling at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, authorities reported.

The National Park Service identified the victim as 21-year-old Stewart P. Porter. According to a news release, Porter was rappelling the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo when he fell around 8:40 p.m., suffering severe injuries. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

Porter's climbing partner became stranded during the incident but was later rescued from the wall of Devils Tower. While fatalities at Devils Tower are rare, the Park Service noted that climbing remains inherently dangerous, with only seven deaths recorded at the monument in over a century of climbing history.