Yemeni 'Spider-Man' Dies After Slipping Into Volcano Crater

Yemeni social media figure and mountain climber Al-Qaqa Ben Anther Al-Absi, 30, died after losing his grip and falling into the crater of the dormant Haradat Damt volcano in Yemen’s Dali’ district. He was widely nicknamed the “Yemeni Spider-Man” because of videos showing him climbing steep cliffs and dangerous rock formations without ropes or any protective gear.

His body was recovered and brought out by civil defense teams and local volunteers only after a complex search that lasted nearly a full day. Rescuers used diving units, special lighting and water-recovery equipment because of the difficult terrain and the steep rocky slopes inside the crater, which reaches a depth of about 120 meters.

Local sources said Absi was driven by severe economic hardship and poverty, which pushed him to try to earn money from acrobatic performances for visitors to the site and from rescuing animals trapped on the cliffs. During his visits, he would climb the inner crater walls using only his limbs and even write visitors’ names in white chalk on the rocks.

The fall, estimated from about 31 meters, was filmed by people at the scene and quickly spread on social media, triggering shock and widespread tributes from his followers. In the aftermath, residents called on local authorities to restrict careless visits to the Haradat Damt geological site, citing its lack of emergency infrastructure and the absence of organized escape routes for accidents.