2 1 ▁August ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁B read al b ane ▁was ▁anch ored ▁to ▁an ▁ice ▁flo e ▁half ▁a ▁mile ▁south ▁of ▁Be ech ey ▁Island ▁in ▁Lanc aster ▁Sound , ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 0 ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁Circle . ▁It ▁had ▁ ▁become ▁surrounded ▁by ▁slow - mov ing ▁ice . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁mid night , ▁a ▁sl ab ▁of ▁ice ▁pen etr ated ▁the ▁star board ▁bow . ▁ ▁The ▁crew ▁quickly ▁salv aged ▁as ▁many ▁supplies ▁and ▁personal ▁items ▁as ▁possible . ▁The ▁ 2 1 - man ▁crew ▁then ▁abandoned ▁the ▁ship . ▁Within ▁fifteen ▁minutes , ▁the ▁vessel ▁s ank ▁to ▁the ▁floor ▁of ▁Bar row ▁Stra it ▁in ▁an ▁approximate ▁position ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁crew ▁was ▁res cu ed ▁by ▁HMS ▁Phoenix . ▁ ▁Sh ip w reck ▁ ▁The ▁w reck ▁of ▁B read al b ane ▁was ▁first ▁discovered ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁by ▁a ▁team ▁led ▁by ▁Joseph ▁B . ▁Mac In nis . ▁Two ▁previous ▁attempts ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁failed ▁to ▁find ▁any ▁trace ▁of ▁the ▁ship . ▁Using ▁side - scan ▁son ar ▁to wed ▁by ▁, ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁ ▁of ▁water ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁Be ech ey ▁Island . ▁She ▁was ▁lying ▁int act ▁on ▁the ▁se af loor ▁with ▁two ▁of ▁her ▁three ▁m asts ▁still ▁standing ▁and ▁her ▁bow ▁pointing ▁east . ▁