An Eastern European woman, who was recently wed, died in Alaska while attempting to visit an abandoned bus made famous by the book and film “Into the Wild,” state troopers said.
He added that the river reaches waist high, which makes it hard to cross.
Alaska State Troopers in Fairbanks added that the river was “running high and swift due to recent rains.”
While Markielau was able to eventually pull his wife out of the water some 75 to 100 feet downriver, she was already dead.
Her body has been sent to the state medical examiner and an investigation into the incident is ongoing, state troopers added.
The couple had been married just under a month and were trying to reach the bus featured in the 1996 book by Jon Krakauer “Into the Wild,” according to Anchorage Daily News.
Following the success of the book and film, the location of the bus has become an infamous destination for hikers, leading to several rescue missions and tragic deaths.
In 2010, a woman from Switzerland also drowned in the river while attempting to reach the bus, according to Anchorage Daily News.
Marsh added that from 2009 to 2017, there have been 15 state search-and-rescue missions in the area.
In May 2013, state troopers used a military helicopter to rescue three hikers who were trying to reach the bus.
The three hikers told him they would go out to the bus, which is an approximate 20 mile trek, and then return.
However, they never came back.
“Due to high water in the region, Baumann was concerned for their safety,” troopers said in the report.
Troopers spotted the hikers within 10 minutes after dispatch via a helicopter, according to the report.
The young men were able to make it to the bus, but on the way back, the river and waters became so high and fast that returning was impossible.
While the group had proper gear, they only brought enough food for three days, troopers said.
