Yemen's 'Spider-Man' dies after fall into volcanic crater while free-climbing without safety gear
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, a 30-year-old free-climber known for his daring stunts on social media, fell 120 metres into a volcanic crater in southwestern Yemen on Friday. His body was recovered two days later after a complex rescue mission.
The fatal climb
Antar was attempting to scale the near-vertical rock walls of the Hardah Dam crater in Dhale province on 12 June without ropes or any other safety equipment. Video footage, which has since circulated widely online and gathered millions of views, shows him hanging from the rock face, sometimes by a single hand, before appearing to lose his grip and fall into the 120-metre-deep crater. The crater, one of Yemen’s best-known natural landmarks, contains a hot sulphur lake at its base.
Complex rescue in harsh conditions
Yemen’s Civil Defence Authority deployed a specialist diving and water rescue team to the site on Saturday. Rescuers abseiled into the crater with full equipment in what the authority later described as “one of the most difficult and complex field rescue missions.” The operation took roughly four hours, hampered by rugged terrain, elevated temperatures inside the crater, and reduced oxygen above the lake surface.
Diver Abdu Muhammad al-Quns, head of the unit, located Antar’s body approximately 30 metres below the water surface on Sunday. The authority praised the “heroic efforts” of the rescue personnel.The team had been promoted after demonstrating exceptional field capabilities amid rugged terrain, harsh environmental conditions and high temperatures inside the volcanic crater.
A life driven by poverty and internet fame
Antar, nicknamed the “Spider-Man of Yemen,” built a large online following, over 56,000 Instagram followers, with videos of his unprotected climbs and acrobatic stunts. In an older clip cited by Yemen Online, he attributed his perilous performances to financial desperation.
The income from sharing the footage online allowed him to make a living. Following his death, the Civil Defence Authority urged extreme sports enthusiasts to recognise the risks and use appropriate safety equipment to prevent similar incidents. Some social media users have speculated, based on slow-motion analysis of the fall video, that a snake bite may have caused him to lose his grip, though no official statement has confirmed this.Poverty drove me to these dangerous excursions.
- Antar falls into crater while free-climbing without safety gear.
- Civil Defence team begins descent and underwater search.
- Body recovered at 30m depth by diver Abdu Muhammad al-Quns after four-hour operation.
