Canadian Geographic’s Tyrone Burke, embedded aboard the Arctic Research Foundation’s research vessel Martin Bergmann, the lead ship in the 2014 hunt for Sir John Franklin’s missing ships, reports that the craft hit a shoal in Queen Maud Gulf yesterday at approximately 4:20 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. No one was injured in the incident.

Like many regions in the Canadian Arctic, few hydrographic charts of the area exist, making working in the area particularly challenging and risky. Coincidentally, part of the mission of the Franklin searchers is to map these previously uncharted waters. 

It took about two-and-a-half hours to free the vessel. The hull did not sustain major damage, and the ship resumed its searching activities while en route back to Cambridge Bay to formally assess its condition. Click here for more details

Updates were made to this story on Sept. 5, 2014.