Authorities in Yemen are reporting the death of a well-known daredevil adventurer who went by the nickname “The Spider-Man of Yemen,” after he plunged into a volcanic crater while scaling its walls without any safety gear.
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30 years old, was attempting to climb the sheer rock faces of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in Yemen’s southern Dhale province on Friday when he lost his grip and fell 120 meters — roughly 393 feet — into the crater below, according to the Civil Defense Authority. The agency also released a brief video capturing the terrifying moment.
The 10-second clip shows Antar making his way up a rocky cliff face with no protective equipment. Names written in Arabic appear in white lettering on the rock wall he is scaling. The footage then shows him clinging to the cliff with his right hand while his left arm reaches out into the air — before his right-hand grip gives way and he falls.
Search and rescue teams, including divers and water specialists, were deployed to recover Antar’s body. Divers eventually found him at a depth of 30 meters — about 100 feet — beneath the water’s surface. The Civil Defense Authority described the four-hour recovery effort as “complex,” citing the steep, rocky terrain that made reaching the site extremely difficult.
The Hardah Dam — also referred to as the Haradhat Damt — is a distinctive volcanic crater situated near the city of Damt in Yemen’s southern Dahle province. The landmark features sharply rising rock walls surrounding a hot, sulfurous lake at its bottom.
Antar had developed a significant following on social media by posting footage of himself taking on high-risk climbs across some of Yemen’s most challenging terrain. His videos frequently went viral. In one widely-shared clip, he was seen gripping the edge of a rocky cliff with only his bare hands while his legs dangled over a steep drop below — all without any safety equipment.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Civil Defense Authority called on climbers and adventure sports enthusiasts to follow proper safety protocols. The agency issued a formal warning urging people to use “appropriate protective gear to avert similar incidents.”
