October 8, 2026 at 4:44pm EDT

A man who took his 7-year-old son rock climbing says someone called child protective services to report him for the decision.

In May 2026, Joe Evermore’s son, Joey, set a record previously held by his 9-year-old brother, for being the youngest person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan in Colorado. El Capitan is recognized as the world’s largest granite cliff, says Good Morning America, rising 7,573 feet. Video captured of Joey’s climb shows him bouncing off the granite cliff (wearing rock climbing safety equipment) and shouting, “I’m going to the moon!”

But GMA reports on Thursday that not everyone was excited about Joey’s record-breaking climb. “Joe Evermore is now revealing child protective services received multiple complaints,” said reporter Mason Leib, “claiming he and his wife were putting their son in danger.”

Leib says Evermore told People magazine, “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. People who take issue with the danger involved do not have a background in climbing. There are risks, but I think the benefits far outweigh the risks. As a dad, I’m mitigating those risks with a team, with good preparation, and with our own skill and our own training.”

Plenty of Instagram commenters were supportive of Joey’s achievement, saying, “Amazing, just amazing,” “So epic,” and “this kid is a badass.”

GMA also reports that CPS declined to pursue the complaints it received. At the time of the interview, the family told GMA a sister was on the way, and that Evermore plans to take her climbing, too. According to Evermore’s Instagram account, the new baby was born just recently.

And this wasn’t Joey’s first climbing adventure. In an Instagram post that shows Joey on the Alcove Swing, a high-altitude rope swing in Yosemite National Park, Evermore said, “Joey Danger is what I call a kid who was born without fear. He’s the guy to most worry about. He begged to go first on the alcove swing. Can you imagine?”