‘Into the Wild’ bus much-known by the non-fictional book written by Jon Krakauer and the movie starring Emile Hirsch, on Thursday was removed from the Alaska backcountry, according to the state officials.
Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige said the decision prioritizes public safety.
As per the department of Natural Resources, the 1940s-era bus had been used by a construction company to house employees during work on an access road in the area and was abandoned when the work was finished in 1961.
‘Into the Wild’ bus has attracted tourists and adventure lovers to the area. As a result, many have died and have had to be rescued. Last year, five Italian tourists were rescued and a woman who hailed from Belarus died.
According to Commissioner Feige, the Alaska Army National Guard removed the bus as a part of a training mission at no cost to the public or additional cost to the state.
In a press release, Commissioner Feige said the bus will be kept in a secure location while her department weighs various options for what to do with it.
“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. More importantly, it was costing some visitors to their lives”, she said.
The 1940s era bus had been used by a construction company to house employees during work on an access road in the area was abandoned when the work was finished in 1961, the Department of Natural Resources said.
In April 1992, Chris McCandless set off alone into the Alaskan wild. Four months later he was found, starved to death, and wrote in a journal about living in the bus for 114 days, right up to his death.
