The adventurer known as the "Spider-Man of Yemen" has died after falling into a volcanic crater while attempting to climb vertical cliffs without protective equipment, authorities announced.
Al-Kaka Ibn Antar (30 years old) was climbing the steep walls of the volcanic crater of the Hardah Dam, in the southern Yemeni province of Dale, on Friday when he lost his footing and fell into a crater about 120 meters deep, the Civil Defense announced, which also released a short video of the moment of the accident.
In the ten-second footage, Antar is seen climbing a steep cliff without any safety equipment. The rock he was climbing had names written in white letters in Arabic. He is then seen holding onto the rock with his right hand, while his left hand is raised in the air. Moments later, he loses his footing and falls.
Rescue teams, including divers and water rescue experts, were sent to the scene to recover Antari's body. Divers found his body at a depth of about 30 meters below the water's surface.
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The Civil Protection described the search and rescue operation, which lasted four hours, as a "complicated" process due to steep and rocky terrain that made access difficult.
Hardah Dam, also known as Haradat Damt, is a unique volcanic crater located near the town of Damt in the southern Yemeni province of Dale. The crater, one of the area's natural attractions, is surrounded by high rock walls, and at its bottom is a hot sulfur lake.
Antar had gained immense popularity on social media, where he posted videos of his dangerous climbs in some of Yemen's most inaccessible areas. Many of his videos went viral.
In one of them, he was seen hanging by only his hands from the edge of a cliff, while his feet rested on a steep slope, performing an extreme act without any protective equipment.
Civil Protection called on all people involved in climbing and adventure sports to respect safety rules and warned of the need to use "appropriate protective equipment to prevent similar incidents." /Telegraph/
