The Death Of Chris McCandless

Alaska Times

Authorities Have found the body of Chris McCandless

Newspaper Article by Will Gardner

by Will Gardner on September, 13, 1992

On the Sunday of September 13th 1992 Authorities had located and retrieved the dead body of a man who after weeks of investigation, turned out to be known as Chris McCandless (Alex Supertramp) “no one was yet certain who he was” said a press article in the New York times, McCandless was a survivalist who had traveled out to alaska to try and survive on his own.. The body of Christopher McCandless had been found inside of an abandoned bus that lied along the Stampede Trail, a rigorous part of land in the backcountry of Denali, Alaska. His body was located with: A 22 caliber rifle a few worn out paperback books, a camera with 5 rolls of exposed film, a diary, and 133 cryptic notes that had identified poisonous and edible plants.

Authorities claim that McCandless had had died due to starvation from eating a poisonous plant known to break down and stop the digestive system from processing food, ultimately starving the victim to death. Chris McCandless had survived 114 days in the wilderness alone with only a 10 pound sack of rice for a food source. The river that Chris had attempted to cross (The Teklanika) becomes extremely dangerous during the summertime, and the authorities say that Chris had attempted to cross but ended up stranded on the wrong side of the river. He then set up a camp site and prepared to wait out the river, but before Chris was able to make it across, he was killed by poisonous seeds known as “Hedysarum mackenzii” this plant kills the digestive system and ultimately starves its victims. Had Chris known that there was a bridge shortly up the river, he may have survived, but he had lived the life he chose and will be looked up to as a role model to young survivalists.