Wreck of HMS Terror Found

Researchers believe they have found the remains of HMS Terror, the second of the two missing ships of Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Northwest Passage.

The discovery in the waters off Nunavut, Canada, was made by the same partnership that found Franklin’s flagship HMS Erebus in 2014.

The Arctic Research Foundation, a private group that sent a vessel to help look for the ship, found it in pristine condition at the bottom of a bay earlier this month.

Franklin and his 128-member crew in the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus all died after the vessels became stuck in ice during a search for the fabled Arctic passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The fate of the ships remained one of the great mysteries in Canadian history for almost 170 years until a team found the wreck of the HMS Erebus in September 2014.

A statement issued by Parks Canada said the organization is excited about the reports of the discovery of the wreck of HMS Terror.

“The discovery of HMS Terror would be important for Canada, reflecting the ongoing and valuable role of Inuit traditional knowledge in the search and making a significant contribution to completing the Franklin story. Parks Canada is currently working with our partners to validate the details of the discovery.” 

HMS Terror was trapped in ice somewhere between King William Island and Victoria Island. According to The Guardian, the ship was found 92 kilometers (57 miles) south of there.

The expedition has become part of Canadian folklore, in part because of the crew's appalling fate. Tales handed down from the aboriginal Inuit people describe cannibalism among the desperate seamen.