Newlywed dies in river near bus seen in 'Into the Wild'

A newlywed says he frantically tried but failed to save his wife as she struggled to cross a raging river near a bus in the Alaska wilderness made famous by the movie “Into the Wild.”

Piotr Markielau told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in an email that he and 24-year-old Veranika Nikonova had spent two nights at the bus, which serves as a shelter for hikers and hunters near Denali National Park.

Rain had swelled the nearby river when the couple from Belarus tried to leave the area.

The 24-year-old Markielau crossed first on July 25 and then watched as his wife lost her footing. He said he managed to get her to the bank, where lifesaving efforts failed.

Nikonova was an actress and documentary filmmaker in Belarus.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com