Ash Dykes’ mission came to a halt before it even began.
Mere days before the adventurer was due to begin his descent into the Congo Basin—an extraordinarily dangerous area of the rainforest of west-central Africa, full of hazardous environmental conditions and aggressive wildlife—he’s been waylaid by the most mundane of problems: a missing bag.
Indeed, as Ash revealed in an Oct. 3 TikTok video, “We have arrived in Cameroon, but it’s not the best of starts. We’re missing a bag, a bag that is still stuck in Paris.”
But unlike an ordinary suitcase that goes missing on the way to a relaxing vacation, this particular bag didn’t hold extra underwear or sunscreen: it contained the pump Ash and his team members needed to inflate the kayaks they’ll use for their 700-km, or approximately 435 miles, journey on the river.
“So, it’s not ideal,” the 35-year-old continued. “It will delay us maybe one day, hopefully no more than two days.”
Ash—who plans to document and share his expedition on social media—explained that once the bag was returned he and his team would make their way over land to the start of the Sangha River, a tributary of the larger and infamous Congo River.
However, “I cannot believe that major mishap so soon,” he admitted. “That is not good. But what can you do? You just got to crack on. It is all part of the mission.”
Thankfully, it indeed took a mere 24 hours for the bag to be returned to Ash—and a good thing, too. While unpacking it during a livestream, he realized the bag not only contained the necessary air pump, but also tents, food and water.
Ash’s upcoming descent into and through the Congo Basin has captivated users on TikTok and beyond, though many are watching his updates with hands covering their eyes.
After all, the region is notoriously dangerous due to the wildlife that haunts its banks and water, such as silverback gorillas, Nile crocodiles, goliath tigerfish, forest elephants, hippopotamuses, leopards and venomous snakes.
Additionally, the river is home to violent rapids, deep whirlpools and powerful undercurrents that make navigation a challenge. Coupled with how remote and isolated the region is, meaning emergency services and help are often days away, any travel within the Congo River Basin is not for the faint of heart.
It’s why despite the fact that Ash has many adventures under his belt—including a solo trek across Mongolia and becoming the first known person to walk the full, 4,000-mile Yangtze River—some users wondered if his missing bag was a kind of divine intervention.
“Burnt toast theory. The delay saved you from something,” one user commented under his video, while another added, more bluntly, “Dude it might be a sign.”
And when the bag was back in his possession, one user posited, “Too many signs turn around NOW.”
From there, before making their official way to the Sangha River, it was just a matter of picking up some last supplies: machetes they’d use to clear paths in the dense rainforest.