For nearly 25 years, a rusty old bus abandoned in the Alaskan wilderness had enamoured hikers globally. The vehicle, knowns as the Magic Bus by some or simply called the Bus 142, was the place where Christopher McCandless breathed his last. His abandoned lifestyle and solitary death became the subject of the book, Into The Wild, which was turned into a film of the same name, directed by Sean Penn in 2007. Emile Hirsch Birthday: 5 Best Movies of the Actor That Prove He Is Underrated.

The reports suggested that the star attraction had become a potential hazard for the travellers. Two people have drowned in the Teklanika River since 2010. As per a 2017 report by inews.co.uk, in 2016, two hikers were rescued by a 20-man search party, and a helicopter, after becoming lost along the trail. In 2013, another 12 needed rescuing after their failed attempts at recreating the hike that McCandless took.

Latest reports suggest, after attracting travellers on the potentially fatal pilgrimage, the bus has been removed from its site. Alaska Public Media reported that the bus was at some distance from Denali National Park and Preserve. The bus was a UH-60 Black Hawk chopper on June 18, 2020.

Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker told the media that the authorities have not made up the mind on what to do with the bus, but it is most likely to be kept on display someplace safer.

He added, "We’re glad that we’ve taken action that will avoid future deaths and injuries and search-and-rescue costs."

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

The crew have also removed a suitcase from the bus. But Christopher McCandless's sisters Candice has said that the suitcase did not belong to him. She said that the suitcase held sentimental value nevertheless, as it contained journals from travellers whose lives her brother's story had touched.

Talking about the history of the bus,  which is the 1946 International Harvester K, it was used by the citizen of Fairbanks for the commute. Sometime around 1960, Yutan Construction Company used it as a makeshift residence for construction workers at a road. When the road was completed in 1961, the bus was abandoned in the wilderness, as per the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Mr McCandless, after giving up all his worldly possessions, trekked in the wilderness of Alaska and found the bus. It was his new home. He died at the age of 24 in August 1992. He survived in the bus for 110 days with a 10-pound sack of rice and vegetation around him.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2020 08:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).