The medical examiner’s office recorded the date of death as Aug. 3. No additional details about the circumstances were immediately available.
Bailee Moore, Whisenant’s lifelong friend, confirmed his death in an Instagram post.
“It is with an impossibly heavy heart that I share the passing of my lifelong friend and confidant — Jacob Daniel Whisenant,” Moore wrote. “Our family is absolutely devastated by this news but find solace in the fact that Jake died doing what he loves in the beautiful Sierra Nevada.”
The post drew condolences and remembrances from members of the climbing community.
Whisenant and South Lake Tahoe climber Brant Hysell gained attention in October 2024 when they completed Lurking Fear, a big-wall route on El Capitan, in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 32 seconds. Gripped reported that the ascent broke a speed record held by Yuji Hirayama and Nick Fowler.
The pair had climbed the route in just over four hours two days earlier, according to the publication.
Whisenant remained active in Yosemite’s climbing community. In May, the Yosemite Climbing Association reported that he and Noah Fox climbed the Nose twice in one day, completing the effort in 14 hours and 38 minutes.
