CAIRO (AP) — A daredevil adventurer known as “The Spider-Man of Yemen” has died after falling into a volcano crater while attempting to climb vertical rock faces without safety equipment, authorities said.
Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, was climbing the steep walls of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in the southern province of Dhale on Friday when he lost his grip and fell into the 120 meter (393 feet) crater, according to the Civil Defense 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. 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.
Rescue teams, including diving and water specialists, were sent to retrieve Antar’s body, which was found by divers at a depth of 30 meters (100 feet) below the water surface. The four-hour search and rescue operation was described by the authority as “complex” due to the steep and rocky location which made access difficult.