- Ash Dykes' team announced they had lost contact with the Welsh adventurer for more than 16 hours during his Congo Basin expedition
- Dykes is paddling 700km through one of the world's most dangerous waterways, facing hippos, venomous snakes and vast stretches of remote marshland
- A team member named Matt posted an urgent update on Dykes' official Facebook page, drawing over 2,800 reactions from worried fans
Fans of Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes are on edge after his support team revealed they had lost all contact with him for more than 16 hours during his ongoing Congo Basin expedition.
Source: Facebook
The alarm was raised on Tuesday morning when a team member named Matt posted a message on Dykes' official Facebook page, confirming the communication blackout.
"Please bear with us, It's been more than 16 hours since we last heard from Ash and the team which is concerning. We will endeavour to keep you posted and let you all know as soon as we hear more. Thank you - Matt 💙," the post read.
The message was paired with a black graphic carrying the word ATTENTION and quickly gathered over 2,800 reactions and 367 shares, with followers flooding the comments section with prayers and messages of support.
Dykes is currently attempting a gruelling 700-kilometre journey through the Congo River Basin, paddling an inflatable kayak from Nola in the Central African Republic to Mossaka in the Republic of the Congo along the Sangha River.
He set off on 8 October, after earlier setbacks involving missing luggage and visa complications. Travelling alongside him are Cameroonian travel guide Mebah Markdonald and UK-based videographer Will Pérez. The team is covering between 30 and 40 kilometres each day, placing the total journey length at well over a month.
The route cuts through one of the most remote and hostile environments on earth. Threats along the way include hippos, gorillas, venomous snakes, malaria, and enormous stretches of marshland where network coverage is essentially non-existent and outside help is almost impossible to reach quickly.
Safety plans in place
Although communication blackouts are expected given the extreme remoteness of the Sangha Basin, the team described this particular 16-hour silence as a cause for concern rather than a routine loss of signal.
Dykes has been working with Global Rescue, a specialist medical evacuation and field extraction company, to put emergency protocols in place ahead of the trip. He also has an evacuation plan that allows him to exit the expedition at any point if the situation demands it.
His team confirmed they are actively working to re-establish contact and have pledged to update the public as soon as they hear anything further.
Did Ash make plans?
We also highlighted facts about the Welsh explorer and his plan to paddle 700 kilometres down the Sangha River in an inflatable kayak, navigating the dangers of the Congo Basin.
Dykes has survived malaria and a gunpoint hold-up in Madagascar, but he calls the Congo one of the most dangerous places on Earth. His latest expedition will test whether an inflatable kayak and a plan to walk around hippo pods can get him safely downstream.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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