Colorado dad slammed for letting 7-year-old son scale Yosemites dangerous El Capitan

Vicious internet trolls called Child Protective Services on a Colorado dad whose son set an incredible record by scaling Yosemite’s notorious El Capitan aged just seven.Joe Evermore and his wife Ann have made a name for themselves by taking their young sons on daring climbing expeditions.In May, Evermore’s son Joey Danger Evermore completed a climb of El Capitan, reportedly becoming the youngest person ever to accomplish the feat.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

Please provide a valid email.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story But while some social media users have celebrated the boy’s remarkable achievement, others have tried to get his kids taken away.“There’s a lot of bullying that goes on online,” Joe told PEOPLE.He explained that some critics have gone as far as reporting him and his wife to Child Protective Services.The family even received a letter from CPS stating that the agency had reviewed multiple complaints but decided not to pursue them.“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.But he argued many of the people criticizing his family’s adventures don’t know enough about climbing to fully understand the risks.“They just don’t understand what’s dangerous and what’s not dangerous,” he said.

“It’s kind of like someone who says, ‘How can you go on a plane? What if the wings fall off?’ It’s like, no, you’re not even thinking about the actual dangers of the sport.”For example, he explained that he’s more concerned about objects falling on his son when he’s closer to the bottom of the cliff than when he’s higher up.He’s also less worried about his son falling because “he’s bolted to the wall,” the experienced climber con...