The Alaska Triangle, sometimes called the “Bermuda Triangle of the North” it is a vast area located in an environment that is extremely unfriendly to humans. Unlike the Bermuda Triangle, where legends about disappearing ships and planes are largely based on conspiracy theories, the case Alaska has a solid foundation in statistics.
Thousands missing. One of the victims was an American congressman
Since the 1970s, there has been talk of over 20,000. missing persons statewidea significant part of which falls in the “triangle” area.
Why are people disappearing in Alaska?
How many people are missing in the Alaska Triangle?
What are the main causes of disappearances in Alaska?
Are there any conspiracy theories about the Alaskan disappearances?
Alaska, with a population of only about 730,000. people, has the highest per capita disappearance rate in the United States. The rate is 164 disappearances per 100,000. inhabitants – much more than in any other state.
According to the most recent data available from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the Alaska Department of Public Safety, approximately 1,300-1,340 missing persons cases remain unsolved. By comparison, most other states have an unsolved disappearance rate of less than 10-20 per 100,000. inhabitants.
This is not the largest absolute number in the world. Countries with larger populations have more total disappearances, but per capita Alaska leads by far in the United States and probably globally among regions with similar characteristics.
Why do people disappear so often in Alaska?
What makes Alaska so dangerous? First of all, nature. The state covers an area larger than many European countries, and more than half is wilderness: dense forests, mountains, glaciers and tundra. Harsh climate with temperatures below minus 50 degrees Celsius in winter, violent snowstorms and fog.
All this means that even an experienced hiker can quickly lose orientation. Hypothermia, confusion and plane crashes are the main causes of disappearances and fatalities. Alaska has one of the largest small aircraft networks. Failures in difficult terrain often end tragically.
In 1972, a plane carrying Congressman Hale Boggs and three others disappeared. The largest search operation in Alaska's history yielded no results. The twin-engine Cessna 310 with Boggs on board disappeared during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. The search involved the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, U.S. Air Force, as well as civilian planes and helicopters. 39 days of searching yielded no results. The remains of the plane and the bodies of the congressman and the rest of the crew were never found.
Another example is a disappearance Gary Frank Sibley in 2004 in the Denali area. Many issues involve indigenous people, who make up a disproportionate share of the statistics.
Are there supernatural explanations? Conspiracy theories talk about UFOs, dimensional portals, and even ghosts that allegedly lure people into a deadly trap. Popular TV shows like “Missing in Alaska” fuel such speculations. However, experts point to rational reasons.
There is no evidence of paranormal phenomena. The high disappearance rate is primarily due to unfavorable geography and climate.
