▁to ▁slow ▁d eter ior ation ▁in ▁the ▁cold ▁Ar ctic ▁water . ▁Histor ically , ▁B read al b ane ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁time ▁caps ule . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 1 ▁August ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁she ▁became ▁tra pped ▁by ▁an ▁ice ▁flo e ▁and ▁was ▁cr ushed . ▁She ▁s ank ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁North west ▁Pass age ▁near ▁Be ech ey ▁Island ▁in ▁Lanc aster ▁Sound , ▁approximately ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁Circle . ▁Her ▁entire ▁crew ▁of ▁ 2 1 ▁abandoned ▁ship ▁in ▁time ▁and ▁were ▁res cu ed ▁by ▁her ▁companion , ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁w reck ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁a ▁five - man ▁team ▁led ▁by ▁Joe ▁Mac In nis ▁working ▁from ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁ice bre aker ▁Sir ▁John ▁A . ▁Mc Donald . ▁Three ▁years ▁later ▁it ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁national ▁historic ▁site ▁of ▁Canada ▁because ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁John ▁Franklin ' s ▁lost ▁expedition . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁ ▁B read al b ane ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Hed der wich ▁& ▁Row an ▁for ▁a ▁Scottish ▁merchant ▁cons ort ium ▁in ▁a ▁ship yard ▁on ▁the ▁C ly de ▁River , ▁in ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁originally ▁used ▁to ▁transport ▁wine , ▁w ool ▁and ▁gra in ▁to ▁Europe , ▁and ▁spent ▁her ▁first ▁ten ▁years ▁sail ing ▁between ▁England ▁and ▁Cal cut