USA / 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska wilderness as tourists die trying to reach it

Alaska: A 1940s-era bus where a 24-year-old adventurer starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness has been removed after tourists died while trying to reach it.  

A US Army helicopter airlifted the vehicle from the spot just west of the Teklanika River, where it had been left to rust for more than half a century.

The bus was made famous by Into The Wild, a book and film that told the story of Chris McCandless' death after he lived inside it for 114 days during the summer of 1992. 

Its removal Thursday came after the state was called to 15 bus-related search and rescue operations between 2009 and 2017, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The bus was blamed for encouraging risky hikes as adventurers crossed dangerous terrain trying to find it. 

Two travelers died after drowning while on their way to the vehicle in separate incidents in 2010 and 2019, officials said. 

Author Jon Krakauer told Mr McCandless' story in the 1996 book Into The Wild, which was adapted into a 2007 film directed by Sean Penn.

The book and film tell the story of a young idealist who wanted to remove himself from society by hitchhiking to Alaska to live in the wild with very few supplies.

He survived for 113 days in the wilderness with only 10 pounds (4500 g) of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, several boxes of rifle rounds, a camera, and a small selection of reading material—including a field guide to the region's edible plants. 

By the time he realized he wanted to rejoin society his route was blocked by a snow-melt raging river and he was later too weak to make the hike.

The National Guard had previously said the bus was a public safety issue because it was luring fans of McCandless to venture out into the dangerous Alaskan wild.

Last July a newlywed woman from Belarus died after she was swept away by the Teklanika River while trying to reach the bus with her husband. 

As recently as February, Alaska State Troopers rescued five Italian hikers, one of whom suffered severe frostbite.

Alaska State Troopers said the five Italians were rescued from a camp they set up after visiting the dilapidated bus on the Stampede Trail near the interior town of Healy.

The hikers were found 13 miles from the trailhead, Trooper spokesman Tim DeSpain said. He didn't know how far they were from the bus.

Rescuers were alerted by the hikers with a satellite-based emergency device that notified the International Emergency Response Coordination Center of a medical emergency, troopers said. 

That international group then notified rescuers, who reached the site by snowmobile, DeSpain said. 

Locals had called for authorities to reduce or eliminate the danger caused by the bus, the National Guard said.

Corri A Feige, commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources, said: 'We encourage people to enjoy Alaska's wild areas safely, and we understand the hold this bus has had on the popular imagination.

'However, this is an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle that was requiring dangerous and costly rescue efforts, but more importantly, was costing some visitors their lives. I'm glad we found a safe, respectful and economical solution to this situation.'

The bus was removed by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The aircrew also ensured the safe transportation of a suitcase that holds sentimental value to the McCandless family, the National Guard said.

Mr Feige said the bus will be stored at a 'secure site' while the Department of Natural Resources considers a permanent place for it.