Harrowing final photo of starving man who documented the lead up to his death in diary entires
The last photo taken of an American hiker paints a tragic story about the lead up to his death.
After Chris McCandless graduated from Emory University in 1990, he donated his $24,000 savings to charity and embarked on a two-year journey across the American West.
The 24-year-old deliberately decided to cut ties with family and society, travelling through Arizona, California, and South Dakota, where he lived with little money, often hitchhiked, and slept outdoors.
When McCandless hitchhiked to Alaska in April 1992, he discovered an abandoned bus, known as 'Bus 142', which he used as a shelter.
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For 113 days, McCandless lived off the land, hunted small game, and would regularly go foraging for plants. For protection, he carried just a rifle.
On 3 July, he wrote in his journal: “Day 94. HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.”
However, by late July, he reached a point of no return when he tried to leave the wilderness but found the river too swollen to cross.
After realising that his days were numbered, McCandless placed a message onto the bus which read: "Attention Possible Visitors. S.O.S. I need your help.
"I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening.
"Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?"
Then, on 12 August 1992, he wrote: “Beautiful Blueberries,” and just four days later, on 16 August, he penned his farewell and took a historic picture.
It read: “I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!” He signed it: “Chris McCandless / August ? 1992.”
His body was discovered on 6 September by moose hunters and weighed just 67 pounds.
The cause of death is believed to be starvation, possibly complicated by eating wild plants.
Park Ranger Peter Christian controversially said McCandless could have survived if he trained properly.
"When you consider McCandless from my perspective, you quickly see that what he did wasn't even particularly daring, just stupid, tragic, and inconsiderate," he said.
"First off, he spent very little time learning how to actually live in the wild. He arrived at the Stampede Trail without even a map of the area. If he had a good map he could have walked out of his predicament."
However, ranger Ken Ilgunas, insisted 'he starved to death, accidentally poisoned himself, or a combination of the two."
Anish Vij