ANCHORAGE (US) – The “Into the Wild” bus that drew hundreds of fans and sightseers can no longer be seen in the wild. The wrecked bus, which rode into fame through the 1996 book and 2007 movie “Into the Wild”, was airlifted from a remote trail outside Denali National Park in Alaska on Thursday.
Officials said many people were putting themselves at risk trekking to the site where adventurer Christopher McCandless died of starvation in 1992.
“We encourage people to enjoy Alaska’s wild areas safely, and we understand the hold this bus has had on the popular imagination,” Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige said in a statement.
“However, this is an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle that was requiring dangerous and costly rescue efforts. More importantly, it was costing some visitors their lives,” Feige said.
The 1940-era bus was removed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Alaska Army National Guard.
Several visitors over the years have been injured or left stranded while making a trek to the bus. Two drowned in river crossings. In April a stranded Brazilian tourist was evacuated, and in February five Italian tourists were rescued.
The local mayor called the bus removal “a big relief.”
“For public safety, we know it’s the right thing,” Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker told Reuters. “At the same time, it is part of our history and it does feel a little bittersweet to see a piece of our history go down the road.”
The bus was hauled to the trail about 60 years ago by a road crew, Walker said. ”It turned into a perilous attraction that needed to be addressed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the fate of the dilapidated bus is unknown.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field