Yemen's 'Spider-Man' climber dies after fall into volcanic crater

A Yemeni free climber who gained social media fame for scaling sheer rock faces without ropes or safety equipment died after falling into a volcanic crater on Friday, according to reports by Al Jazeera Al-Qa’qa’ bin Antar, 30, also known as Qaqaa Antar al-Absi and dubbed the "Spider-Man of Yemen" online, reportedly fell on Friday while attempting to climb the 120-metre (394-foot) Haradhat Damt volcano crater in Yemen’s southern province of Al Dhale, according to Al Jazeera. He had become widely known for videos showing him climbing steep cliffs and volcanic formations without protective gear, sometimes marking high points on rock faces with white chalk writing. Yemen’s 'Spider-Man' has died after falling while climbing the 120-metre Haradhat Damt volcanic crater without equipment. Tributes have poured in from fans of Al-Qa'qa' bin Antar, who became famous for his videos attempting daring climbs. pic.twitter.com/gazsdVovGQ — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 13, 2026 Civil defence teams recovered his body on Saturday after a nearly 24-hour search and recovery operation, Yemen Monitor reported. Read: Yemen’s Houthi leader says group ready for escalation Footage circulating online appears to show the moment he lost his grip and fell into the crater. افضل مقطع قد تشاهده مقطع اسطوري ومرعب للقعقاع 🫣 وهو يمارس هوايته في التسلق ويظهر فيه شجاعته وقوة تركيزة وثقته بنفسه مقطع يخليك تخاف وانت في غرفتك فوق فرشك ويخلي أعصابك تنهار من شدة التوتر مقطع سيجعل كبار المتسلقين في العالم يقفون مذهولين pic.twitter.com/CBLXjk3JGP — فرفشة٢٤ farfasha24 (@MjhrMwq84778) June 13, 2026 According to Yemen Online, rescue teams deployed diving units, water rescue equipment and lighting systems to reach the difficult terrain inside the crater, where steep rock faces and hazardous conditions significantly hampered efforts. Yemen Online also previously reported that bin Antar had cited poverty as a motivation for undertaking the dangerous climbs in an attempt to earn income.