The enigma of the ‘Alaska Triangle’ is quite fascinating, even though it’s not widely recognized.
Unlike the Bermuda Triangle, which is globally infamous for causing the disappearance of numerous planes and ships, the Alaska Triangle remains relatively obscure.
According to the History Channel, this particular region on Earth is believed to be the site of the highest number of unresolved missing person cases worldwide.
The area roughly encompasses a wilderness stretch between Utqiagvik, Anchorage, and Juneau.
Due to its notorious reputation over recent years, some have started referring to this region as ‘Alaska’s Bermuda Triangle’.
The Alaska Triangle first caught public attention in 1972 when a small airplane vanished en route from Anchorage to Juneau.
Despite extensive search efforts spanning more than 3,600 hours and covering 325,000 square miles, neither the passengers nor the wreckage were ever found.
This was only the beginning, as the History Channel notes that over 20,000 individuals have disappeared in the area since the 1972 plane incident.
Prominent figures have also fallen victim to the Triangle, such as Thomas Hale Boggs Sr, the US House Majority Leader in 1972.
Alaska Congressman Nick Begich went missing while flying over the Alaska Triangle.
Begich was traveling from Anchorage to Juneau with aide Russell Brown and pilot Don Jonz.
A significant search operation was launched following their disappearance, but no bodies or wreckage were ever located.
This has led to much speculation, which has only intensified with other similar cases.
Gary Frank Sotherden, a 25-year-old New Yorker who was hunting in the Alaskan wilderness in the mid-1970s, also vanished.
He never returned home, but a skull found along the Porcupine River in northeastern Alaska in 1997 provided more answers than many other cases.
State troopers concluded that the skull belonged to Sotherden, who was likely killed by a bear.
IFLScience describes the area as full of ‘untouched wilderness’, ‘ragged mountain ranges’ and ‘horrifically cold weather’.
Additionally, the presence of ‘lots of bears’ adds to the peril.
As of 2024, the mystery surrounding the Alaska Triangle remains unresolved.