DUSHANBE, October 3, 2013, Asia-Plus – Five missing American kayakers reported missing on the Baland Kiik River in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) for three days were found safe today, according to the Tajik law enforcement authorities.

“They will arrive in Dushanbe in the near future,” the source said.  According to him, all of them are in satisfaction condition; only one of them broke his leg.

The kayakers say they failed to go on the air because their communications means were out of order.

We will recall that Outsideonline.com reported that five kayakers were reported missing on the Baland Kiik River in Gorno Badakhshan.  Ben Luck, Cooper Lambla, Matt Klema, Nate Klema, and Charles King reportedly triggered the emergency signal on their SPOT beacon at some point on Monday, September 30. (Ben Luck and Nate and Matt Klema were featured as Outside''s Adventurers of the Year for 2011).

“On Tuesday, during a helicopter rescue attempt, a search team discovered a broken kayak with a backpack on it.  Immediately after that sighting, another SOS signal was sent 6 miles downstream, although the search mission could not continue due to looming nightfall.  The helicopter search was set to resume Wednesday morning,” Outsideonline.com reported on October 2.