Colorado Parents Who Take Their Small Kids On Record-Breaking Mountain-Climbing Ventures Reported To Child Protective Services By Online Critics, Won’t Be Prosecuted

A Colorado family is speaking out after social media critics reported them to Child Protective Services (CPS) following their 7-year-old son’s historic, record-breaking climb up El Capitan.

Joe Evermore and his wife faced a wave of online outrage after documenting their son, Joey Danger Evermore, scaling the iconic 3,000-foot granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. At just 7 years old, Joey became the youngest person to ever climb El Capitan, breaking a record previously held by his own 9-year-old brother.

While footage of the expedition showed an ecstatic Joey in professional safety gear shouting, “I’m going to the moon!”, the achievement was quickly overshadowed by public vitriol.

Detractors flooded social media, arguing the parents were placing the child in lethal jeopardy. The backlash escalated into formal reports filed with CPS, with some critics suggesting the child should be placed in the foster care system.

“There’s people that think, ‘Hey, your kids would be better put in a foster system’ or put in front of a television, rather than training daily for an epic mission,” Evermore said.

Joe Evermore fiercely defended his family’s lifestyle, pushing back against what he describes as uneducated internet commentary

“Somebody just sees it, and they’re terrified and comment, ‘This is obviously too dangerous,’” Joe Evermore said in a recent interview.

“Most of the people making comments don’t have a background in rock climbing,” Evermore said, emphasizing that the family mitigates risks through grueling daily training, professional-grade equipment, and a dedicated, experienced support crew.

He acknowledged that while danger is inherent to the sport, the experiential “benefits far outweigh the risks”.

Following a review of the online-originated complaints, the Evermore family said child safety authorities determined the family was not negligent and declined to pursue allegations rooted in online complaints against the Evermores.

The family remains steadfast in their passion for high-altitude sports, maintaining that their children are highly trained athletes operating under strict safety protocols.

A Colorado dad, who climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan with his 7-year-old son, revealed that someone called child protective services to question his parenting abilities. https://t.co/UXkoTaYQCv

— ABC News (@ABC) October 9, 2026