Contact has been restored with Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes and his team after concerns were raised when they went silent during a kayak expedition through the Congo Basin in central Africa. The team confirmed everyone is safe after receiving a message through his satellite device.
Ash Dykes, who was born in St Asaph, Denbighshire, and grew up in Old Colwyn, is approximately two weeks into his latest expedition, which involves travelling more than 700 kilometres down the Sangha River by inflatable kayak, from Nola in the Central African Republic to Mossaka in the Republic of the Congo.
Concern raised after 16 hours of silence
A post on the 35-year-old's Facebook page on Wednesday said it had been more than 16 hours since anyone last heard from Ash and the team, describing the development as "concerning".
Five hours later, however, the team announced that they had finally heard from Ash through his satellite device after his Starlink and powerbank had died. They said: "We just received a message from Ash’s sat-phone/Garmin! EVERYONE IS SAFE! 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."
They added: "That’s all we know right now. We will update you when we know more. Thank you for your prayers!!"
Expedition through one of the last great wildernesses
The adventurer's website describes the journey as passing through "one of the last great wildernesses left on the planet". The near 500-mile Congo trek is Mr Dykes' latest undertaking and marks the first of six expeditions planned over 12 months.
His website explains: "Twelve months. Six of the hardest places on Earth, one after another, with barely enough time in between to come home and repack. Mission 01 begins in the Congo Basin."
Previous record-breaking journeys
Last year, North Wales Live reported on his remarkable voyage along one of the world's most extensive waterways - 3,400 miles (5,400km) of China's Yellow River, from its source to the sea.
The North Wales adventurer became the first person to complete a 4,000-mile (6,437km) journey on foot along China's Yangtze River in 2019. He has also traversed the entire length of the Great Wall of China, and his exploits have turned him into a well-known figure across China.
In 2014, Mr Dykes became the first recorded person to walk across Mongolia from west to east in an unsupported solo expedition which took 78 days. He also became the first recorded person to travel the full length of inland Madagascar, covering 1,600 miles (2,575km) across eight mountains over 155 days in 2016.
