The daredevil free-climber known as the “Spider-Man of Yemen” has died after plunging into a volcanic crater while attempting to scale its walls without safety equipment. Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, was climbing the steep rock faces of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in Yemen's southern Dhale province on Friday when he lost his footing, according to local authorities.
A 10-second video circulating online shows Antar ascending the near-vertical wall, marked with Arabic writing, before his right hand appears to slip. He falls out of frame. Yemen's Civil Defence Authority described the subsequent rescue as “highly dangerous” and “one of the most difficult and complex field rescue missions”. Specialist teams, including divers, were deployed. After a four-hour operation, Antar's body was found by divers 30 metres below the water surface inside the 120-metre-wide crater. The authority praised the “heroic efforts” of its water rescue team for recovering the body “from the bottom of the crater”.
“Daredevil free-climber Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, died after falling into a volcanic crater in Yemen.”
Antar had a large following on social media for videos of his daring acrobatic stunts, often hanging from cliff edges by his bare hands, dangling without any protective equipment. The Hardah Dam, also known as Haradhat Damt, is a distinctive volcanic crater near the city of Damt. It features steep rocky walls and a hot, sulphurous lake at its base, and has become a tourist attraction in recent years.
Following the tragedy, the Civil Defence Authority urged climbers and adventure sports enthusiasts to adhere strictly to safety protocols and use “appropriate protective gear to avert similar incidents”. The authority also confirmed that the rescue team had been promoted for demonstrating “exceptional field capabilities amid rugged terrain, harsh environmental conditions and high temperatures inside the volcanic crater”.