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'Into the Wild' bus airlifted from Alaskan wilderness after Chris McCandless-inspired tourists needed rescuing

The vehicle, made famous by the 'Into the Wild' book and film, was airlifted by a US Army helicopter on Thursday, June 18, from where it had been abandoned in the 1940s

An abandoned bus from the 1940s, where a 24-year-old adventurer starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness has been removed by the state government after multiple tourists died while attempting to reach it. The vehicle, made famous by the 'Into The Wild' book and film, was airlifted by a US Army helicopter on Thursday, June 18, after over half a century. 

'Into The Wild' told the story of a young man, Chris McCandless, who died in the summer of 1992 after starving to death. He lived inside the bus, located just west of the Teklanika River, for nearly 114 days. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the Alaska government decided to remove the bus after local authorities were called to at least 15 bus-related search and rescue operations between 2009 and 2017. Multiple adventurers, over the years, attempted to cross dangerous terrain in their quest to find the famed bus.

The book, written by author Jon Krakauer, was published in 1996 and was later adapted in 2007 into a film directed by Sean Penn. The book and the film told the story of McCandless, an idealist, who wanted to extricate himself from society by hitchhiking to Alaska to live in the wild with very few supplies. The 24-year-old survived in the wilderness for 113 days and only had with him 10 pounds (4,500 grams) of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, rifle rounds, a camera, and a small selection of reading material, which included a field guide to the edible plants in the area. When McCandless finally wanted to go back into society, his route was blocked by a snow-melt raging river. Already starving from lack of food in the frigid weather, he was later too weak to hike. 

The National Guard, in a previous statement, had said that the famed bus had become a  public safety issue because it was attracting McCandless' fans to venture out into the dangerous Alaskan wild. A newlywed woman from Belarus, in July 2019, died while attempting to reach the bus with her husband. She was reportedly swept away by the Teklanika River.

Alaska State Troopers, earlier this year, in February, had rescued at least five Italian hikers from the region, one of the hiker also suffered severe frostbite. The hikers were rescued from a camp they had set up after visiting the bus on Stampede Trail. According to Trooper spokesman Tim DeSpain, the hikers were found nearly 13 miles from the trailhead. Hikers reportedly alerted rescuers with a satellite-based emergency device that notified the International Emergency Response Coordination Center of a medical emergency. DeSpain said that local rescuers were then alerted by the international group.

The National Guard, in its statement, had said that the locals in the area had called for authorities to reduce or eliminate the danger caused by the bus. The Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, Corri A Feige, 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 will be stored at a "secure site" while the Department of Natural Resources considers a permanent place for it, Feige said.