Woman dies in Alaska searching for famous bus

A Belarusian woman was swept away and died while trying to cross a fast-moving river in Alaska in search of an abandoned bus made famous by the book and movie “Into the Wild.”

At close to midnight Thursday, Piotr Markielau, 24, called the Alaska State Troopers to tell them that his wife, Veramika Maikamava, 24, had been dragged under the water in the Teklanika River, just outside of Denali National Park.

A rope extended across the river is meant to help hikers get from one side to the other, but the water was rapid and waist-high, Ken Marsh, a spokesman for the Alaska State Troopers told Reuters. The segment the couple tried to cross was high because of recent rainfall, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

“Ms. Maikamava apparently lost her footing and her grip on the rope,” Marsh said.

About 75 to 100 feet downriver, Markielau was able to pull the body of his wife, whom he had been married to for less than a month, from the river, according to Alaska authorities.

State troopers said an investigation is ongoing.

Chris Mccandless, who hitchhiked to Alaska after graduating college and donating his life savings, lived in the “Magic Bus” for about four months. The story of his travels, and his death within the bus, was captured in the book by Jon Krakauer and later in the film directed by Sean Penn.

Since then, the bus has drawn curious visitors to its rugged site. Situated along the Stampede Trail, the abandoned Fairbanks City Transit bus 142 has become somewhat of a pilgrimage spot for those enthralled by the story of Mccandless.

This is not the first time someone has lost her life at the mercy of the rushing river. In 2010, a 29-year-old Swiss woman drowned while trying to cross the river.

The river also has trapped backpackers on one side by suddenly swelling after filling with rain.

There were 15 bus-related search-and-rescue operations by the state between 2009 and 2017, according to Marsh.