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Trapped in Ice

A famous explorer and his crew face off against the frozen dangers of Antarctica.

January 2, 2023
By Talia Cowen

As You Read: Identify at least two challenges the crew faced in Antarctica.

Thick wooden boards snapped like toothpicks. Cold water flowed onto the deck. It was 1915, and a ship called Endurance was sinking! 

The ship’s crew of 28 men and its leader Ernest Shackleton stood on the ice nearby. They were hundreds of miles away from other people, and there was no way to call for help. Would they survive?

Thick wooden boards snapped like toothpicks. Cold water flowed onto the deck. It was 1915, and a ship called Endurance was sinking! 

The ship’s crew of 28 men and its leader, Ernest Shackleton, stood on the ice nearby. They were hundreds of miles away from other people. There was no way to call for help. Would they survive?

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The powerful ice lifted the ship out of the water and crushed it.

Frozen Nightmare

In August 1914, Shackleton and his men had sailed from England on an expedition. Shackleton’s goal was to be the first to walk across Antarctica.

A few months into the journey, the ship got trapped in ice in the Weddell Sea. The crew chopped the ice, trying to free the ship. 

Sadly, the ice continued to push against the ship. It crushed the Endurance, and the ship sank.

In August 1914, Shackleton and his men had sailed from England on an expedition. Shackleton’s goal was to walk across Antarctica. He wanted to be the first to do so.

A few months into the journey, the ship got trapped in ice in the Weddell Sea. The crew tried to free the ship. They chopped the ice. 

Sadly, the ice continued to push against the ship. It crushed the Endurance. The ship sank.

Will They Get Home? 

Shackleton and his crew escaped with three small lifeboats from the ship. But there was no water to set sail on. All that lay ahead was miles of ice. 

The men spent months dragging the boats over the ice. They ran low on food they’d brought. So they hunted seals and penguins. 

Shackleton and his crew hiked through blizzards. They had only fur mittens, woolen clothing, and heavy boots to keep them warm. After a long journey, they finally reached water. 

Shackleton and his crew escaped. They used three small lifeboats from the ship. But there was no water to set sail on. All that lay ahead was miles of ice.

The men spent months dragging the boats over the ice. They ran low on food they’d brought. So they hunted seals and penguins. 

Shackleton and his crew hiked through blizzards. They had only fur mittens, woolen clothing, and heavy boots to keep them warm. After a long journey, they finally reached water. 

Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images

Crewmen chop at the ice as they try to clear a path for the ship.

Hoping for Help

The crew rowed across the swirling ocean for about a week. They spotted an island! It was the first time they had been on land in nearly 500 days. 

But no one lived on the island. They would need to travel farther for help.

Shackleton recognized the area from a trip he had made once before. He knew that fishermen lived on another island farther east. He chose five men to go with him to find it. The rest of the crew would wait for him to return with help. If he didn’t make it, his men wouldn’t survive. 

The crew rowed across the swirling ocean. They rowed for about a week. They spotted an island! It was the first time they had been on land in nearly 500 days. 

But no one lived on the island. They would need to travel farther for help.

Shackleton recognized the area from a trip he had made once before. He knew that fishermen lived on another island farther east. He chose five men to go with him to find it. The rest of the crew would wait for him to return with help. If he didn’t come back, his men wouldn’t survive. 

An Amazing Rescue

After sailing through churning waves and stormy weather, Shackleton reached the other island. He borrowed a ship to rescue the men he had left behind. 

The men cheered when they saw Shackleton. Two years after Endurance had sailed from England, the crew was finally safe.

Shackleton never crossed Antarctica. Still, his trip is one of history’s greatest survival stories. Not one crewman died.

The men returned home, but their ship didn’t. For decades, it remained lost at the bottom of the sea. That changed during a recent, exciting search. Read "The Search for Endurance" to discover more.

Shackleton sailed through churning waves and stormy weather. He finally reached the other island. He borrowed a ship to rescue the men he had left behind.

The men cheered when they saw Shackleton. It had been two years since Endurance had sailed from England. Now, the crew was finally safe.

Shackleton never crossed Antarctica. Still, his trip is one of history’s greatest survival stories. Not one crewman died.

The men returned home, but their ship didn’t. It remained lost at the bottom of the sea. That changed during a recent search. Read "The Search for Endurance" to discover more.

The Endurance Voyage

In which direction did Shackleton row to get to Elephant Island?

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

1. October 1914–January 1915: The Endurance sails toward Antarctica.

2. January–October 1915: The Endurance gets trapped in the ice.

3. October 27, 1915: The Endurance is crushed and abandoned.

4. November 1915–April 1916: The crew lives on the ice.

5. April 9–15, 1916: The crew rows to Elephant Island.

6. April–May 1916: Shackleton and five crewmen sail to South Georgia Island.


In which direction did Shackleton row to get to Elephant Island?

Jim McMahon/Mapman®


1. October 1914–January 1915: The Endurance sails toward Antarctica.

2. January–October 1915: The Endurance gets trapped in the ice.

3. October 27, 1915: The Endurance is crushed and abandoned.

4. November 1915–April 1916: The crew lives on the ice.

5. April 9–15, 1916: The crew rows to Elephant Island.

6. April–May 1916: Shackleton and five crewmen sail to South Georgia Island.

  1. What is an expedition? What was the purpose of Shackleton’s 1914 expedition?
  2. What steps did Shackleton and his crew take to get help after the Endurance sank?
  3. How does the author support the idea that Shackleton’s expedition was one of history’s greatest survival stories?
  1. What is an expedition? What was the purpose of Shackleton’s 1914 expedition?
  2. What steps did Shackleton and his crew take to get help after the Endurance sank?
  3. How does the author support the idea that Shackleton’s expedition was one of history’s greatest survival stories?
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