A daredevil adventurer dubbed “The Spider-Man of Yemen” has tragically died after falling into a volcano crater while attempting to climb vertical rock faces.
The Incident
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, was climbing the steep walls of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in the southern province of Dhale in Yemen on Friday (June 12) when he lost his grip. He then fell into the 393ft crater, according to the Civil Defence Authority, which posted a short video capturing the moment of his fall.
The 10-second video shows Antar climbing a rocky cliff without any safety equipment. On the cliff he is scaling, names in Arabic have been written in white across the rocky wall.
Antar is then seen holding the cliff with his right hand, with his left hand in the air, before he appears to lose his right grip and falls.
Rescue Operation
Rescue teams, including diving and water specialists, were sent to retrieve Antar’s body, which was found by divers at a depth of 100ft below the water surface.
The four-hour search and rescue operation was described by the authority as “complex” thanks to the steep and rocky location which made access difficult.
The Civil Defence Authority posted their praise for "hero" diver Abdo Mohamed Al-Qans, the commander of the diving and water rescue team, who went on the mission to recover Antar's body. They wrote: "He underwent one of the most difficult and dangerous rescue missions in Yemen, when he descended to the bottom of #Dammat Volcano in Dhala Governorate, to retrieve the body of the young Qaqaa Antar Al-Absi."
The Location
The Hardah Dam – known also as the Haradhat Damt – is a unique volcanic crater located near the city of Damt, in Yemen’s southern Dahle province. A landmark of the region, the crater has steep rocky walls with a hot sulfurous lake at its base.
Social Media Fame
Antar had gained fame on social media platforms where he posted videos showing him performing high-risk ascents of some of Yemen’s most rugged terrain. His videos often went viral. In one of them he was seen hanging from the edge of a rocky cliff using his bare hands, his legs dangling toward a steep slope in a risky performance without safety equipment.
Safety Warning
The Civil Defence Authority has urged those who climb and engage in adventure sports to observe safety procedures, and issued a warning to use “appropriate protective gear to avert similar incidents”.
