Spider web clipping issue

[Fench Nasty]

A friend and I explored a wolf spider den to get spider silk. He got stuck next to a wall and couldn't move, no matter how many of the webs i chopped down around him. I'm guessing that a web clipped through from another tunnel on the opposite side of the wall, because the one that did clip, i chopped down. He had to use the give up option. It would be great to pickup a players backpack without it considered stealing, like every other game. If it's co-op how is it stealing?