YouTuber Ash Dykes’ team issues worrying update after losing contact with him for over 16 hours in Congo

Adventure YouTuber Ash Dykes appears to be missing after his team released a statement to say that they lost contact with him in Congo.

An update was shared to Instagram which stated: “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.”

Dykes, who is from Wales, has earned over 1.2 million followers on the social media platform along with 200,000 subscribers on YouTube thanks to his documented explorer videos.

The content creator had set off on an ambitious kayaking expedition along the Sangha River on October 8, with plans to navigate 434 miles through the Congo Basin.

The journey is part of an extreme adventure series that will see Dykes take on six major challenges across 12 months. However, the remote location and dangerous conditions have made the latest expedition particularly challenging.

Traveling with a local guide and a videographer, Dykes has been documenting his progress as the group makes its way through the rainforest, where they face potential encounters with dangerous wildlife, disease and unpredictable river conditions.

Adventurer Ash Dykes is missing in the Congo Basin

While the statement from Dykes’ team did not confirm when or where communication was lost, it did state that further information would be provided when available. It is also not known whether an emergency has occurred.

The trip is taking place in a remote stretch of the Congo Basin, where maintaining regular contact can be difficult, with Dykes having previously explained that satellite communications would be used to help the team share updates from the journey.

The Congo Basin is home to a large region of tropical rainforest and a diverse range of wildlife, making it an especially difficult environment for an expedition of this kind.

Potential hazards include crocodiles, hippos and illnesses that can pose serious risks to humans, as well as tricky river conditions and the logistical challenges of moving through remote areas.

Last Friday (October 16), Dykes had published a video titled ‘I Travelled To Africa’s Deadliest River... (Congo Basin)’ where he shared that he is attempting to kayak 800km (497 miles) down the Sangha River.

Dykes said that this video is the ‘most honest’ he has been on camera, revealing why he does expeditions like this, and ‘what it really feels like to say goodbye to the people you love before heading somewhere this remote’.

UPDATE AS OF 4:05pm: the team has now successfully made contact with Dykes, with a message from his sat-phone reading: "EVERYONE IS SAFE!"

An update was posted to Dykes' Instagram account which reads: "The Starlink is out and their powerbank has died, there’s no way for them to send videos or updates, they can only 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!!"