An adventurer who became famous for climbing rugged terrain without safety equipment died after plunging into a volcano in the province of Dhale in Yemen.
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, dubbed “The Spider-Man of Yemen” was scaling the steep walls of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater when he appeared to lose his grip and fall 393 feet to his death, CNN reported.
Yemen’s Civil Defense Authority reportedly posted a short video of his fall while climbing with no safety equipment.
“On the cliff he is scaling, names in Arabic have been written in white across the rocky wall. He 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,” according to the report.
Authorities posted more videos of the rescue operation, including diving and water specialists who were sent to retrieve Antar’s body. The adventurer was finally located 100 feet below the water’s surface after a “complex” four-hour search and rescue mission, according to the authority.
The Hardah Dam is a landmark near the city of Damt and has steep rugged walls and a hot sulfurous lake at the base, per the report.
“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,” the report details.
The Civil Defense Authority urged climbers to use proper safety equipment and follow procedures to “avert similar incidents.”
