In brief
Al‑Qaqa Ibn Antar, known online as the “Spider‑Man of Yemen,” died after falling into the 120‑metre‑wide volcanic crater of the Hardah Dam in southern Yemen. The 30‑year‑old had been attempting the steep rock faces without safety gear. Video recordings of the fall circulated online, and Yemen’s Civil Defence Authority praised its rescue team for retrieving Antar’s body from 30 m beneath the crater’s water surface. The operation was described as highly dangerous and one of the most complex rescue missions in the country.
Yemeni free‑climber Al‑Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, lost his life when he slipped and fell into the Hardah Dam crater in the country’s south‑west region on Friday. The 120‑metre‑wide crater, a popular tourist attraction, had a hot sulfur lake at its bottom.
Ibn Antar, dubbed the “Spider‑Man of Yemen” for his daring ascents, had been climbing the near‑vertical walls of the crater without safety equipment. Video footage, which struck a chord on social media, shows him losing his grip and plummeting down the steep face.
The Yemen Civil Defence Authority released footage of the rescue, describing the operation as “highly dangerous” and “one of the most difficult and complex field rescue missions.” Divers located the body at a depth of 30 metres within the crater’s water. The team used climbing gear to scale the crater’s side and winched a cage to recover the body.
The authority praised the rescuers’ “exceptional field capabilities amid rugged terrain, harsh environmental conditions and high temperatures inside the crater,” and highlighted that the team had been promoted for their performance. The incident underscores the risks faced by cliff‑climbers in Yemen’s volcanic landscapes.
