Man stays on banned 'world's deadliest island' in UK that 'kills if you breathe'
A man spent 24 hours on the ‘world’s deadliest island’ and managed to live to spread the word about this dangerous local spot.
If you’ve ever wondered where you can go on Earth that’s more likely to kill you instead of thrilling you, then you’re on to a winner with this one.
Located in Gruinard Bay between Gairlock and Ullapool lies a small, the Scottish land named Gruinard Island is one that’s famously deadly, and for good reason.
Previously known as ‘Anthrax Island’ because scientists contaminated the soil during World War II with an anthrax bomb in 1942, if you go there, you’re going to want to tie up and loose ends in your life first.
Advert
Now, if you don’t know what anthrax is, you’re in for a doozy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) ‘is a rare but serious illness caused by a spore-forming bacterium’ that is the reason that the Ministry of Supply recognised the island to be too contaminated to inhabit in 1945.
But that doesn’t mean nobody has attempted to visit.
YouTuber Dara Tah wanted to learn more about the island and its history, which is riddled with mystery.
In the 80s, nobody even knew about the island being contaminated until activists known as the ‘Dark Harvest Commandos’ delivered a package containing soil from the island, leading to a decontamination effort some years later.
Then, in 2022, a wildfire caused a lot of the land to go up in flames.
With that information tucked under his belt, Dara and his friend, Matt James, travelled to the island to have a look around, stay overnight, and test the soil for anthrax.
Let it be known, that the symptoms of anthrax include things like skin sores, shock, and even death.
So, he was playing with fire by going on this little trip.
However, his attempt at finding the truth about the island after believing the government were responsible for the fire upon the island, led the social media into a discovery.
Donning a gasmask and white hazmat suit, disinfecting themselves and setting up their camp for the night, both men realised the extent of the damage to the island.
“There seems to be absolutely nothing on the island, everything is just burnt,” Dara said.
Then, he revealed the natural habitat on its surface, explaining that there are ‘skulls' but ‘no living wildlife’.
To further find out what they were dealing with, the pair took soil samples and sent them off to a lab, before going to sleep on the island and then waited for their ride home.
The results? “Anthrax island is Anthrax free,” Dara revealed.
“Bacillus anthracis not found,” he said as he read the report. “That’s so weird I can’t believe it! It’s done, they burnt it all away.”
So, what’s the deal with the island now?
According to Far Out Magazine, Gruinard’s island is privately owned, and since the fire, it appears that it is becoming a natural hub for plants and shoots.
Britt Jones