TikTok explorer Ash Dykes’ team finally makes contact after 16 hours in Congo expedition. Then they reveal what went wrong

TikTok explorer Ash Dykes and his expedition team are safe after more than 16 hours without contact during their journey through the Congo Basin. The confirmation comes after his support team raised the alarm over the prolonged silence earlier, saying it was becoming concerning that they had not heard from the adventurer or his companions.

The original announcement, shared on Dykes’ social media accounts, did not explain where the group was when contact was lost or whether an accident had occurred. The lack of information prompted concern as Dykes and his crew navigated a remote stretch of the Sangha River in Central Africa.

Now, the team has confirmed that it received a message through Dykes’ satellite phone and Garmin device. It also revealed that the group’s Starlink connection had gone down, and its power bank had died, leaving the expedition unable to send videos or its usual updates.

“We have JUST received a message from Ash’s sat-phone/Garmin! EVERYONE IS SAFE!” the team announced in their latest update.

The team’s communications equipment failed during the expedition

The team explained that the Starlink outage and dead power bank had left them without a way to send videos or regular updates. They can now send only short messages whenever they manage to get a signal through Garmin. For now, the Garmin messages appear to be the group’s remaining way to relay information from the remote region.

The team thanked followers for their prayers and said it would share more information when it became available. While the safety confirmation addresses the immediate concern, the communications problems mean updates from the expedition may remain limited.

Like other explorers who have brought their journeys to online audiences, Dykes has been documenting the expedition as it unfolds.

Dykes is navigating more than 434 miles of remote waterways

The Welsh adventurer began his journey on October 8, aiming to travel more than 434 miles (700 kilometers) down the Sangha River, from Nola in the Central African Republic toward Mossaka in the Republic of the Congo. He is making the journey by inflatable kayak alongside a local guide and a videographer.

The river expedition is the first mission in Project Six, a series of six expeditions across extreme environments planned over 12 months, putting Dykes among the adventurers taking on extreme expeditions. Dykes has been documenting the journey for his online audience, sharing footage of the conditions and challenges he encounters along the way.

Those challenges have included paddling through difficult stretches of the river and dealing with unexpected encounters in the rainforest. In a recent video, Dykes described being stung by an unidentified insect while traveling through the Congo Basin.

Dykes has previously undertaken long-distance expeditions, including crossing Mongolia and walking the length of China’s Yangtze River. With several weeks still expected on the expedition, the team’s loss of reliable communications raised concerns about their safety.

For now, the team has confirmed that everyone is safe, but it has not announced when regular video updates will resume. 

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