Yemen’s ‘Spider-Man’ dies after falling into volcano crater

A daredevil free-climber fell to his death while climbing the steep walls of a volcano in southern Yemen without any safety equipment, in a scene that was captured and widely shared on social media.

Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, who was more popularly known online as the “Spider-Man of Yemen”, died on June 12 after falling into the 120m Hardah Dam volcano crater in the southern province of Dhale.

Antar was famous for his climbs and acrobatic stunts at some of Yemen’s most challenging terrain, all done without harnesses or ropes.

He had garnered a huge fanbase on social media, where he had posted photos and videos of his exploits.

Videos showing Antar’s fall was widely circulated online.

It shows Antar climbing a rocky cliff without any protective gear, seemingly casually hanging on with just his right hand and his legs dangling off the near-vertical wall, before he appears to lose his grip and falls.

His body was recovered on June 13, at a depth of 30m below the crater’s water surface, following a 4.5-hour search, said the Yemen Civil Defence Authority.

Rescuers described the search as “highly dangerous” and “complex” due to the region’s remoteness and the “intensity of the volcanic heat” from the crater’s sulfurous lake, where temperatures ranged between 40 deg C and 60 deg C.

Following news of his tragic death, Antar’s social media accounts have been inundated with messages of condolences.