UPDATE 12/21/25 at 6:40 p.m. ET — The Inyo County Coroner’s Workplace confirmed on Saturday, December 20, that the physique recovered from Mt. Whitney was Joseph Brambila, in accordance with a press launch obtained by Us Weekly.
“The Inyo County Sheriff’s Workplace extends its condolences to the household and mates of Mr. Brambila and appreciates the general public’s endurance and understanding all through this complicated restoration operation,” the assertion learn.
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A physique has been present in California’s Mount Whitney amid a seek for lacking climbing YouTuber Joseph Brambila, who disappeared in November.
“On November 12, 2025, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Workplace acquired a report of a doable deceased particular person on Mt. Whitney,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s Workplace stated in a Monday, December 15, press launch. “Because of the distant and dangerous location and a number of storms that moved in simply after, restoration operations have been additional difficult and required in depth planning and coordination over a number of weeks.”
The discharge, which was shared by way of Fb, famous that the “deceased particular person was efficiently recovered” on Monday after “a number of helicopter-assisted and floor operations.”
“Formal identification is pending with the Inyo County Coroner’s Workplace. We’ll launch additional info because it turns into obtainable,” the assertion learn. “Whereas identification is pending, we acknowledge the issue of this example and prolong our condolences to the household and mates of the deceased.”
The discharge continued, “The Inyo County Sheriff’s Workplace is conscious that the general public is aware of of the reported lacking individual within the space. Nonetheless, we warning anybody from making conclusions till constructive identification is made.”
Brambila, who turned 21 days earlier than he went lacking in November, was reported lacking by his household after they didn’t hear from him. His good friend Luis Buenrostro informed The Los Angeles Instances that he final noticed Brambila at Path Crest in Mount Whitney, the place the YouTuber had beforehand filmed a video in June.
He has not been discovered since he filmed a YouTube video on the mountain in November and stated he can be taking a “brief reduce” on the way in which again, per the outlet
The outlet reported that Brambila had beforehand posted a video of himself sliding down Mount Whitney in June by the use of the “glissade” — a maneuver that requires using an ice choose and a helmet. When Brambila returned to Mount Whitney on November 11, the outlet famous that the climate situations can change with out warning.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s workplace informed Individuals in a press release on Wednesday, December 17, that Brambila’s household was current throughout the restoration course of however didn’t view the physique of the deceased. The household was knowledgeable of the clothes worn by the person, however “clothes alone shouldn’t be thought of a authorized or constructive technique of identification,” the spokesperson famous.
Us Weekly reached out to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Workplace for remark.
Because the seek for Brambila continues, his girlfriend, Darlene Molina, informed SFGate that he was ready hiker.
“He loves disconnecting from the world and spending time with himself in nature,” Molina informed the outlet earlier this month. “He has informed his mates that he’ll flip his telephone off throughout hikes however is all the time recording and speaking to himself for vlogs.”
Molina famous that Brambila “wasn’t afraid to show round if he acquired to a spot he couldn’t deal with,” noting that he hiked midway up Yosemite’s Half Dome earlier than turning round. Molina added that she felt “helpless” amid the seek for Brambila.


