All 129 members of the Franklin expedition disappeared during their 1845β1848 mission to find the Northwest Passage. In 1846 the Erebus and Terror became trapped in ice off King William Island and the crew was forced to spend the winters of 1846β47 and 1847β48 there. Franklin and 23 others died by April 1848. The remaining crew abandoned ship and headed south toward the Back River, with 35β40 dying near the mouth of the river. Forensic evidence suggests the crew suffered from starvation, scurvy, and lead poisoning, possibly from contaminated tin cans. Some remains showed signs of cannibalism.
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