Carl McCunn

Carl McCunn (January 25, 1947 – c. December 1981) was an American wildlife photographer who became stranded in the Alaskan wilderness and eventually died by suicide after running out of supplies.

Early life and education McCunn was the son of Donovan McCunn and Erika Hess. He was born in Munich, Germany, where his father was stationed by the United States Army. He was raised in San Antonio, Texas, graduated from high school in 1964, and enlisted in the United States Navy shortly after dropping out of community college. McCunn served in the Navy for four years and was discharged in 1969. He briefly lived in Seattle, Washington, before settling in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1970.

Alaskan excursion

I keep thinking of all the shotgun shells I threw away about two months ago. Had five boxes and when I kept seeing them sitting there I felt rather silly for having brought so many. (Felt like a war monger.) So I threw all away ... but about a dozen ... real bright. ... Who would have known I might need them just to keep from starving? — Carl McCunn, diary excerpt based in part on McCunn's estimate he was northeast of Fort Yukon. On this trip, he flew in with 500 rolls of film, of provisions, two rifles, and a shotgun. Believing he would not need them, he prematurely disposed of five boxes of shotgun shells in the river near his camp. The inbound air taxi pilot later testified, "We had instructions he was to be picked up by a friend of his before winter set in, with a float plane." The weather stayed warm, above , but it began to rain constantly, with winds blowing from the south. A prolonged period of cold weather sapped his energy and motivation, and after developing frostbite in his hands, he lost the dexterity required to set his snares. By Thanksgiving (November 26), he wrote of having dizzy spells and almost constant chills.

McCunn's father, Donovan, gave Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reporter Kris Capps access to the diary and two rolls of film.