Derek Hersey died on 28 May 1993 in an accident while soloing the Steck-Salathé Route without protective gear, on Sentinel Rock in Yosemite National Park. He fell several hundred feet to his death.
Derek Hersey met his demise on 28 May 1993 when he lost control of himself while climbing the Steck-Salathé Route alone and without safety gear, plummeting hundreds of feet to his death on Sentinel Rock in Yosemite National Park.