Viral "Spider-Man" Climber Dies Attempting To Scale Volcanic Crater
30-year-old Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, nicknamed "The Spider-Man of Yemen," was climbing the Hardah Dam volcanic crater when he lost his grip and fell to his death. The incident took place on Friday, June 12, with rescue attempts lasting over 24 hours to recover the free-climber's body from the dangerous terrain.
Antar had gone viral many times for his intrepid free-climbing videos all around Yemen. Some of his most-watched climbs took place at the same volcanic crater in which he died, the Hardah Dam volcanic field in the southwestern part of the country. The "Spider-Man of Yemen" was known not just for climbing, but earned his nickname for performing acrobatic tricks where he would maintain his grip with one hand while dangling his legs in the air.
Antar's final climb was recorded up until the moment of his fall. A video taken by his friend shows the climber losing his grip and his contact with the nearly-vertical wall of the crater. He begins to fall as the man holding the camera rushes to the ledge to search for Antar. Names are written in what is seemingly white chalk all around the walls of the steep cliff, marking other climbers who have made the treacherous journey.
The 30-year-old climber fell almost 400 feet into the crater. Rescuers found Antar's body underwater, nearly 65 feel below the surface of the crater lake. Temperatures of the volcanic body of water can reach up to 140 degrees. Extreme temperatures as well as sulfur and gasses rising into the water made the rescue attempt "complex," according to Yemen's Civil Defense Authority.
عاااجل
— الدفاع المدني اليمني (@CDYEMEN) June 13, 2026
تم العثور على جثة القعقاع بن عنتر من قبل فريق الغوص والإنقاذ المائي بمصلحة الدفاع المدني
. pic.twitter.com/XVVM0mDSAr
"The heroic diver Abdu Muhammad Al-Quns, leader of the diving and water rescue team at the Civil Defense service, faced one of the most difficult and dangerous rescue missions in Yemen, when he descended to the bottom of the volcanic Herdah Damat crater in Dhale Governorate to retrieve the body of the young man Al-Qaqa' Antar Al-Abssi," a social media post from the Civil Defense Authority reads.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 11:20 AM.