Horrifying last days of off-grid man paralysed by seeds as he starved to death

Daily Record

29-05-2025

In April 1992, Chris McCandless set out on a perilous journey into Alaska's harsh wilderness, but just five months later the 24-year-old was found dead, wrapped in a sleeping bag inside an abandoned bus
In April 1992, Chris McCandless embarked on what became a fateful adventure into the wilds of Alaska, driven by his love for exploration.
His story turned to tragedy when, five months later, he was discovered lifeless at age 24, his frail body weighing just 30kg (4st 7lbs), wrapped in a sleeping bag inside a derelict bus - death by starvation being the grim verdict.
‌
Famously known as Alexander Supertramp, McCandless documented his struggle for survival through journal entries that spoke of subsisting on game, local flora, and seeds. His poignant tale of determination and hardship was later immortalised in Jon Krakauer's novel 'Into The Wild', which subsequently inspired a renowned feature film.
‌
Back home in Fairfax, Virginia, McCandless had been an exceptional student and athlete; his high school teachers remembered his individuality, observing how he "marched to the beat of a different drummer", as noted by The Daily Star.
Following his graduation from Emory University with honours in history and anthropology in 1990, he donated $24,000 to OXFAM, embracing two years filled with intermittent employment and passionate hiking odysseys, reports the Mirror US.
McCandless's final journey began in 1992 with only essential supplies after giving away most of his personal belongings. He hitchhiked to Fairbanks, Alaska, before heading off into the wilderness.
‌
His journals featured snapshots of his experiences trekking through the snowy Stampede Trail and detailed his discovery of an isolated bus near Denali National Park, which became his base.
He subsisted on small game such as squirrels, birds, and rabbits, in addition to foraged roots and seeds, seemingly embracing his wilderness adventure. However, in June, McCandless's ability to survive took a hit when he illegally hunted a moose but was unable to preserve the meat, leading it to spoil.
‌
In a devastating turn of events, come July, when McCandless tried to return to civilisation, he found himself blocked by the swollen Teklanika River, which forced him to retreat back to the security of his bus shelter.
In desperation and fearing for his life, he erected an SOS sign outside the bus: "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."
Unfortunately, his plea for help remained unanswered.
‌
McCandless's poignant tale details 113 days of solitary existence, with his last written entry on day 107 noting the joy of "BEAUTIFUL BLUE BERRIES."
The subsequent days were disturbingly recorded with just slashes until day 113, which chillingly ended without any mark. As new information surfaces, the enigma surrounding the tragic conclusion of this young explorer grows.
‌
One of his final gestures was taking a self-portrait with a message declaring: "I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!".
His body, alongside his personal diaries, was eventually found by moose hunters on September 6.
In a tragic twist of fate, McCandless, who did not possess an intricate map, was oblivious to a nearby abandoned cable car system that could have helped him cross the river where he had previously turned back. This added another layer of mystery to why this physically fit adventurer died from starvation despite his daily attempts to hunt and gather.
‌
Author Jon Krakauer postulated in his book that McCandless's death was not due to starvation but rather the consumption of wild potato seeds.
McCandless's journals showed he ate a considerable amount of these seeds, which led Krakauer to suspect that a toxic alkaloid within them weakened him so severely that he could no longer fend for himself by hunting and foraging.
Yet, this theory encountered a problem as most guidebooks classify wild potatoes as non-toxic. Undeterred, Krakauer had the seeds tested by a scientist, but they found no toxic alkaloids.
‌
Krakauer, still seeking answers, now endorses a medical paper by researcher Ronald Hamilton, which posits that the wild potato seeds were indeed the cause of McCandless's death, but not through any toxic alkaloids.
Hamilton's study uncovered that McCandless's scant diet and malnutrition made him susceptible to a rare but severe condition often seen in undernourished young men, known as "lathyrism", which slowly paralyses its sufferers.
‌
Lathyrism is a condition triggered by the ingestion of an amino acid first identified in the seeds of wild grass peas. Krakauer sent some wild potato seeds to a chemist, who verified that they contained the lathyrism-inducing amino acid.
After McCandless's demise, the converted bus where he spent his last days became a famous destination for trekkers.
Known as "The Magic Bus", it bears a commemorative plaque from McCandless's father, Walt. In September 2020, the bus was moved to the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska, where it underwent restoration and an exhibition was set up.
‌
In the 2007 film adaptation, Into The Wild, actor Emile Hirsch took on the role of McCandless. During the shoot, Hirsch undertook daring feats such as scaling mountains, floating naked in a river with a temperature of 35 degrees, and standing mere inches away from an 8ft grizzly bear.
Director Sean Penn felt compelled to create the film after reading Krakauer's book.
"I ended up reading it cover to cover, nonstop, twice - the first time realising it was a movie and the second time affirming it," he said.
‌
Penn reached out to Krakauer, who introduced him to McCandless' parents, Walt and Billie, and his younger sister Carine. Initially, the family was reluctant to approve a film adaptation of McCandless' tragic story, not wishing to reopen old wounds so soon after his passing.
However, about 10 years later, they gave their consent and the project proceeded.
‌
While some admire McCandless for his adventurous spirit, others criticise his actions as reckless and thoughtless.
Peter Christian, a park ranger, offered a scathing appraisal, saying: "When you consider McCandless from my perspective, you quickly see that what he did wasn't even particularly daring, just stupid, tragic, and inconsiderate."
Christian stressed McCandless' lack of preparation, saying: "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."
‌
Christian's verdict was unequivocal: "Essentially, Chris McCandless committed suicide."
However, Ken Ilgunas, another ranger, presented a contrasting view in The McCandless Mecca: "McCandless, of course, did not commit suicide. He starved to death, accidentally poisoned himself, or a combination of the two."
Jon Krakauer, the author of the well-known account, came to McCandless' defence, arguing: "In 1992, however, there were no more blank spots on the map - not in Alaska, not anywhere."
Krakauer shed light on McCandless' unconventional thinking: "But Chris, with his idiosyncratic logic, came up with an elegant solution to this dilemma: He simply got rid of the map. In his own mind, if nowhere else, the terra would thereby remain incognita."