Yemeni social media climber Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar dies after falling 120 metres into volcanic crater
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, known as 'Yemen's Spider-Man' for his viral free-solo climbs, fell 120 metres into the Hardah Dam crater after losing his grip on the cliff face.
The fatal climb
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, a 30-year-old Yemeni climber famous on social media, died on Friday 12 June after falling into the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in southern Yemen's Dhale province. He was attempting to scale the steep rock walls without any safety equipment when he lost his grip and plunged approximately 120 metres into the crater, which contains a boiling sulphuric lake at its base. A 10-second video released by Yemen's Civil Defense Authority shows Antar hanging from the rock face with his right hand, left hand in the air, before his grip fails and he drops.
Rescue operation
Emergency teams including divers and deep-water specialists reached the site and conducted a four-hour search that authorities described as one of the most complex field missions ever carried out in the province.
The operation was extremely dangerous and one of the most difficult and complex rescue missions on the ground, due to the steep and rocky terrain, difficult environmental conditions, and high temperatures inside the volcanic crater.
The rescue workers located Antar's body at a depth of about 30 metres below the water surface. Footage of the operation shows a rescuer in a cage being lowered by winch into the crater. The Authority later praised the "heroic efforts" of the water rescue team and announced that the members involved had been promoted in recognition of their exceptional performance.
Viral fame built on risk
Antar gained a large following on social media by posting videos of high-risk climbs and acrobatic stunts on some of Yemen's most forbidding terrain. One widely shared clip captures him hanging from a cliff edge with only his hands, legs dangling toward a steep slope, with no protective gear. The crater he died in, Hardah Dam (also known as Haradhat Damt), is a well-known natural attraction near the town of Damt, distinguished by its sheer walls and the hot sulfuric lake at the bottom.
Safety warning
After the incident, the Civil Defense Authority urged all climbers and adventure sports enthusiasts to follow safety procedures and issued a warning.
Use appropriate protective equipment to prevent similar incidents.
