A Belarusian woman who was on her trip to the Denali National Park in Alaska, died on Thursday night, after being swept away in a river, as confirmed by the state troopers. Veramika Maikamava was on her way to get on an abandoned bus at the boundary of the National park when the incident happened. It is the same abandoned bus that is made famous in the book and movie “Into the Wild”.
Piotr Markielau and Veramika Maikamava, (both aged 24), the newly wedded couple was on their honeymoon trip to the site, while the later, attempting to cross the Teklanika River with her husband, was pulled underwater. Even though there is a rope stretched across the river to support hikers, yet its water was waist-high and was running with force. According to an Alaska State Trooper spokesman – Ken Marsh,
“Ms. Maikamava apparently lost her footing and her grip on the rope.”
This well known site of ‘Stampede Trail’ along the edge of the Denali National Park is frequented by hundreds of visitors every year and a try to reach the wrecked vehicle – now known as the “Magic Bus”- is a must do activity for them.
This Stampede Trail has been a subject of international attention since the 1992, after the death of Christopher McCandless, whose body was found in an abandoned bus deep inside the wilderness about 30 miles down the trail. First it was brought to the public’s attention by Jon Krakauer in an Outside magazine article, a book in 1996 and film in 2007 followed.
During the 21st century, the landmark’s ill fame resulted in an increase in hikers along the trail as well as complaints of a corresponding increase in unprepared hikers who require assistance in the backcountry.
With time, fatal incidents and rescues activities have become a common story of the trail. The Alaska State Troopers and the Tri-Valley Fire Department (Healy), two major rescue parties are available over here.
