'Spider-Man of Yemen' dies falling into volcanic crater

Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar had been attempting to climb its walls without safety equipment when he fell in, local authorities say. 'Spider-Man of Yemen' dies falling into volcanic crater Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Yemen's Civil Defence Authority has released footage showing rescuers removing the body from the crater in a "highly dangerous" operation Two wires with a cage on them stretch the length of a volcanic crater during a rescue mission to retrieve the body of a free-climber. A daredevil social media free-climber nicknamed the "Spider-Man of Yemen" has died after falling into a volcanic crater in the country's south-west. Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar had been attempting to climb its steep rock faces on Friday without safety equipment when he fell in, according to local authorities. The 30-year-old had a large following on social media and was well known for performing daring acrobatic stunts in online videos. The Hardah Dam volcanic crater is one of the country's most famous natural landmarks. Video footage appearing to show the moment of the fall has been widely circulating online. It shows Antar climbing the near-vertical wall of the crater before appearing to lose his grip and fall. Yemen's Civil Defence Authority praised the "heroic efforts" of its water rescue team for successfully recovering Antar's body "from the bottom of the crater" in a statement issued on Sunday. A photo of Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar standing next to a crater was shared online by Yemen's Civil Defence Authority on Friday A photo of Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar standing next to a crater It described the operation over the weekend as "highly dangerous", and "one of the most difficult and complex field rescue missions". The authority said the team had been promoted after demonstrating "exceptional field capabilities amid rugged terrain, harsh environmental conditions and high temperatures inside the volcanic crater". It produced footage showing rescuers scaling down the side of the crater using climbing equipment, before winching a cage down to recover the climber's body. His body was found by divers inside the 120m-wide crater at a depth of 30m (98ft) below the water surface, according to the Associated Press. The Hardah Dam in Dhale province has become somewhat of a tourist attraction in recent years, with a hot sulfur lake sitting at its base. There are fears the Iranian proxy may attack shipping in the Red Sea, adding to global economic woes. The Iran-backed group could bring a second crucial waterway to a standstill, writes Sebastian Usher. Aid groups - a lifeline for millions of Yemenis - are being squeezed out of existence in areas under the control of the rebels, the BBC hears. Climbing Hut Shrewsbury is seeing a surge in memberships with a 20% growth in people joining up. Alex Honnold has become the first person to climb the Taiwanese building alone without safety equipment. All visitors will be charged the standard entry fee which will go towards Climbers Against Cancer. Balin Miller's solo climb and fall was caught on a live stream. Climbers say they didn't start bouldering to find a partner - but it ended up happening along the way.