Stranded hikers airlifted from Alaska Into The Wild site

A group of Germans had to be rescued by helicopter this week from the Alaska site immortalized in the book and movie Into the Wild.

The three hikers had trekked out to a site near Fairbanks to see Chris McCandless's bus. McCandless, 24, died there in 1992 after attempting to survive on his own in the Alaskan wilderness.

On the way back, the two rivers the group had crossed to reach the bus, became impassable.

In 2010, a woman hiking the same trail, likely to reach the abandoned vehicle, drowned while crossing one of these rivers.

The community of Fairbanks has considered moving the bus because of safety concerns, but Alaska State trooper Megan Peters said it's unlikely people would stop visiting the site.

"Who's to say that even if the bus is moved that people still won't go out there and do some kind of make-shift memorial," she said.

"It's the draw of it. I don't think it's the actual bus itself. It's kind of the symbolism of it now and I don't think you can remove the symbolism."

Peters said many people do the trip without problems.

She advises people who are heading into the Alaska backcountry to have adequate experience and enough gear and food.