Inside The ‘Alaska Triangle’: Over 20,000 People Mysteriously Vanished

The Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean is infamous for mysterious disappearances, but did you know about the “Alaska Triangle”? This region, known for having more unsolved missing person cases than anywhere else in the world, is located roughly around Anchorage, Juneau, and Utqiagvik, a northern coastal city. More than 20,000 people have mysteriously vanished within this area, which remains shrouded in mystery.

The Alaska Triangle first gained public attention in October 1972, when a small plane carrying two U.S. politicians vanished while en route from Anchorage to Juneau. According to IFL Science, the aircraft was carrying U.S. House Majority Leader Thomas Hale Boggs Sr., Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, Mr. Begich’s aide Russell Brown, and pilot Don Jonz. Despite an extensive search effort, neither the plane nor the bodies were ever found.

This incident sparked numerous conspiracy theories, particularly because Mr. Boggs was a member of the Warren Commission, the official body tasked with investigating John F. Kennedy’s assassination. As reported by Indy100, Boggs apparently disagreed with the commission’s findings, fueling further speculation about the disappearance.

Another notable case involves 25-year-old New Yorker Gary Frank Sotherden, who ventured into the Alaskan wilderness in the mid-1970s for a hunting trip and never returned. In 1997, two decades after his disappearance, a human skull was discovered along the Porcupine River in northeastern Alaska. In 2022, DNA testing confirmed that the skull belonged to Sotherden, and it is believed that he likely died from a bear attack.

Various theories have been proposed to explain the disappearances in the Alaska Triangle. Some suggest that unusual magnetic activity in the area might be to blame, while others speculate about extraterrestrial visits. However, more straightforward explanations point to the vast, rugged wilderness and natural dangers in the region, which could easily account for people going missing and never being found.

As IFL Science notes, the Alaska Triangle is filled with “untouched wilderness,” “ragged mountain ranges,” and brutally cold weather, as well as “lots of bears.” Yet, much like the Bermuda Triangle, the true reasons behind these mysterious disappearances may never be fully understood.