A young climber has plunged to his death from the Matterhorn after rockfall was reported near his route.
Friends and relatives have identified him as 20-year-old Kieran Liner.
Kieran was climbing the iconic Alpine mountain with a companion when the incident happened shortly after 6 am on Tuesday, 27 October.
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Valais Cantonal Police said two mountaineers were ascending via the Hörnli ridge when rocks began falling nearby at an altitude of approximately 3,500 metres – around 11,500ft.
One of the climbers then lost sight of his companion and immediately alerted emergency services, as reported by Need To Know.
A helicopter operated by Air Zermatt was deployed by the Valais Cantonal Rescue Organisation.
Rescuers located the missing mountaineer in the terrain a short time later but could only confirm his death.
Kieran’s family and friends have publicly named him as the climber who died.
The Valais public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation to establish the precise circumstances of the fall.
Police have confirmed that rockfall occurred near the two climbers but have not said whether it caused the fatal incident.
Kieran’s older sister, Precenia Justine Newman, described his death as a rockfall accident in a fundraiser established to bring him home to the US.
She said Kieran had been living in Austin, Texas, and also had strong connections to Pensacola, Florida, which his family described as the place he called home.
Precenia described her brother as a son, uncle and friend, as well as a skateboarder, golfer and passionate young alpinist.
She said: “Kieran was so much more than the circumstances of his passing.
“He was a young man with a love for adventure and the outdoors, whose life brought him to some extraordinary places.
“At just 20 years old, he had so much life ahead of him, and it is difficult to put into words the heartbreak of losing him so unexpectedly.”
Kieran’s best friend and climbing partner, Eli Hawkins, said they had been climbing the Matterhorn together.
He wrote: “Kieran was my best friend, my climbing partner and my brother.
“Such a special human. We’ve been through so much together, good and bad, and this hurts so much more than anything I’ve ever experienced.”
Eli said he planned to continue climbing in his friend’s memory.
He added: “I loved this guy to death.
“I’m going to continue climbing hard for this dude and keep him in my spirits.”
The fundraiser is seeking funds to cover repatriation, funeral and burial expenses.
Kieran’s family hopes to hold celebrations of his life in Austin and Pensacola.
They said: “Our greatest wish right now is to bring Kieran home, lay him to rest and give everyone who loved him the opportunity to say goodbye.”
Jam Press has reached out to Valais Cantonal Police.
The authorities’ formal identification process remained underway at the time of publication.
A spokesperson said a supplementary announcement would be issued once that process had been completed.
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