Influencer Ash Dykes is ‘Safe’ After Declared Missing While Kayaking Through Congo Basin

Influencer Ash Dykes, who set out with a team to travel hundreds of kilometers through the dangerous Congo Basin in an inflatable kayak, has been found after temporarily going missing after joking just hours earlier about the dangers they had managed to avoid.

Dykes, a 35-year-old self-described explorer and extreme athlete, began a journey he named Project 6, which includes kayaking 800 kilometers along the Sangha River in Central Africa. In a LinkedIn post last month, he described the Congo Basin as the “second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth,” and said the expedition would take approximately three weeks to complete.

His team confirmed on Wednesday, October 21, in a statement on Instagram that Dykes and his two teammates are “safe.”

“The Starlink is out and their powerbank has died, there’s no way for them to send videos or updates, they can onky send short messages whenever they get signal on the Garmin. That’s all we know right now. We will update you when we know more. Thank you for your prayers!!” the statement concluded.

Hours earlier, on Wednesday, October 21, a statement shared on Dykes’ Instagram account revealed he hadn’t been heard from in 16 hours.

“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,” the statement written by his friend Matt reads.

In the caption, Matt asked Dykes’ followers to “bear with us” as they await further updates.

The news came just hours after Dykes posted a TikTok video joking about the dangers he and his team had encountered during the expedition.

“We have been chased by bees, we have stared silverback in the face, we have witnessed elephants chew down trees. In fact, one pulled a tree down right next to camp. We have come across hippos that have traipsed beside our camp. We’ve seen buffalo. We’ve been eaten alive by the tsetse flies and the mosquitos trying desperately to avoid dengue fever and malaria,” Dykes said in a sarcastic tone.

In the October 20 post, Dykes said the team had been traveling 80 kilometers per day in the heat.

“We are getting it done. We are winning,” Dykes continued in his TikTok. “We have not seen any crocodiles. We know they’re here. We know the hippos are here but through good planning and good due diligence and speaking to the locals we are avoiding them.”

Dykes also described the jungle as a “minefield,” explaining that careful planning was essential to navigating its dangers.

“If I make it to the end, me and the team, and no mine goes off, it doesn’t mean the minefield isn’t dangerous, it just means we planned it well.”

He said some viewers had predicted he would die during the expedition.

“Most of you listed the ways I was gonna die. People were even betting that I’d be eaten by hippo or taken by elephant or ripped apart by gorilla. But we’re getting it done,” Dykes boasted. “I knew the 15 years of experience would put me in good stead and I’d be able to lead the team safely all the way to the finish line.”

Dykes also emphasized his experience, saying this was his “15th rodeo.”

“This isn’t a safari. We’re not here to experience and see the wildlife. We’re here to see it and have safe passage through,” he added.

In the video, Dykes described the challenges of paddling through the heat each day and thanked those supporting the expedition. He also said he hoped to reach the finish line that weekend and reveal the second location for Project 6, an initiative involving six extreme destinations.

For now, Dykes and his team remain unaccounted for, according to the statement on Instagram.