Yemeni 'Spider-Man' dies in 31-meter fall from volcanic crater

Civil defense rescue teams in Houthi-controlled Yemen recovered the body of 30-year-old adventurer Al-Qaqa Antar Al-Absi, who was known online as “the Yemeni Spider-Man.” He died after slipping and falling about 31 meters into the Haradhat Damt crater, a deep volcanic caldera in southern Yemen, while attempting another climbing stunt without safety equipment.

Rescue officials said the search for his body lasted close to 48 hours. Crews faced “extreme and especially dangerous conditions,” including vertical rock walls, loose scree and intense geothermal heat rising from the sulfur-rich crater.

Al-Absi had become a local internet sensation in recent years through videos showing him scaling smooth cliffs and descending into craters with only his bare hands on the rocks. Locals said he also used those skills to rescue goats and sheep trapped on cliffs. As the site became a tourist attraction, the stunts turned into his main source of income, with visitors paying him small tips to perform and carve his name on the crater walls.

Damt crater lies about 220 kilometers south of the capital, Sana'a, and is around 100 meters deep, filled with warm mineral water. Although the volcano is considered extinct, the danger remains real because of the slick walls. The site has a regulated access route, including a 115-step iron staircase, but Al-Absi chose the risky path for the camera. His death triggered anger and grief online, with many also blaming Yemen’s severe economic hardship. Geologists and local authorities are now calling to block free access to dangerous areas, install iron fences and warning signs, and prevent copycat attempts.