Uncovering Arctic Silence: Franklins Lost Expedition
On May 19, 1845, Caption Sir John Franklin set sail from Greenhithe, England on his third expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. He led two lavishley equipped ships--the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror--and 129 crewmen. In late July, a whaler spotted the two ships in Baffin Bay, waiting for ice to clear in Lancaster Sound so they could continue their jounrey towards the Bering Straight. This was the last time any of the 129 crew was seen alive.
In September of 1846, the ships became trapped by ice near King William Island. Franklin and and 23 other members of the crew died, and the remaining 105 crew members abandoned ship to march across the ice on foot.
By 1847, the Admiralty grew increasingly concerned after receiving no communication from Franklin. Over the next two decades, they launched more than 30 rescue missions in search of Franklin and his crew—none of which succeeded. The wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were eventually discovered in 2014 and 2016, revealing a grim truth: an analysis of human remains indicated evidence of cannibalism. It is clear the crew endured incredble levels of desperation. Tragically, all 129 men aboard the Franklin Expedition perished.