"Mysteries at the Museum" Race to the Antarctic: Special

1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074 2 00:00:14,530 --> 00:00:17,170 [ Helicopter blades whirring ] 3 00:00:17,270 --> 00:00:19,270 I'm going back in time to an era 4 00:00:19,370 --> 00:00:22,170 when world exploration was fueled by competition 5 00:00:22,270 --> 00:00:24,470 and the thirst for glory, 6 00:00:24,580 --> 00:00:27,680 when dying could stand in the way of success 7 00:00:27,780 --> 00:00:30,210 and perseverance is king. 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,550 My mission? To understand 9 00:00:32,650 --> 00:00:34,890 a man who is hailed as one of the greatest 10 00:00:34,990 --> 00:00:37,090 polar explorers in history. 11 00:00:37,190 --> 00:00:39,560 His name is Sir Ernest Shackleton. 12 00:00:39,660 --> 00:00:42,460 Shackleton wanted to be the first person 13 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,330 to travel across the entire ice-bound continent of Antarctica. 14 00:00:46,430 --> 00:00:49,270 Very steep gradient--wow. 15 00:00:49,370 --> 00:00:53,200 It was one of the most dangerous expeditions ever attempted. 16 00:00:53,310 --> 00:00:55,640 That is deadly! 17 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:57,870 My heart is going a million miles an hour right now. 18 00:00:57,980 --> 00:00:59,540 Oh, my God. 19 00:00:59,650 --> 00:01:01,880 But when his ship became trapped in ice, 20 00:01:01,980 --> 00:01:05,080 his mission transformed from a feat of polar exploration 21 00:01:05,180 --> 00:01:08,450 to history's greatest story of survival. 22 00:01:08,550 --> 00:01:12,590 To me, everything about this seems impossible. 23 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,100 I'm Don Wildman. 24 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,300 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 25 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,470 examined rare artifacts and epic monuments. 26 00:01:24,570 --> 00:01:26,270 That is unbelievable. 27 00:01:26,370 --> 00:01:28,440 Now, I'm digging deeper into some of the most 28 00:01:28,540 --> 00:01:31,210 perplexing and famous cases in history. 29 00:01:31,310 --> 00:01:34,080 My goal? To get closer to the truth. 30 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:36,110 Let's burn this place down. Let's burn it down. 31 00:01:36,220 --> 00:01:39,780 On this special episode of "Mysteries at the Museum"... 32 00:01:39,890 --> 00:01:43,090 Race to the Antarctic. 33 00:01:46,020 --> 00:01:48,190 Of all the explorers of the 20th century, 34 00:01:48,290 --> 00:01:51,860 Sir Ernest Shackleton stands out as one of the world's most famous. 35 00:01:54,470 --> 00:01:57,470 When he and his men set sail from Britain in 1914, 36 00:01:57,570 --> 00:02:00,000 they had no idea what they would encounter. 37 00:02:00,110 --> 00:02:02,610 Their goal was to reach Antarctica, 38 00:02:02,710 --> 00:02:04,980 but Mother Nature had made other plans. 39 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,680 What began as an epic adventure 40 00:02:07,780 --> 00:02:10,380 quickly brought Shackleton and his 27 crewmen 41 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,150 face to face with almost certain death. 42 00:02:13,250 --> 00:02:15,890 So why would Shackleton 43 00:02:15,990 --> 00:02:18,960 even attempt to conquer the Antarctic? 44 00:02:19,060 --> 00:02:20,990 What was the prize? 45 00:02:21,090 --> 00:02:23,860 To find out, I'm starting where the journey began, 46 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,500 right here in England. 47 00:02:33,940 --> 00:02:37,140 First stop is ground zero for polar exploration-- 48 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,840 the Scott Polar Research Institute. 49 00:02:46,550 --> 00:02:49,650 Their collection features ship models, 50 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,760 clothes, and artifacts from Shackleton's past expeditions. 51 00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:02,100 By the turn of the 20th century, the age of polar exploration 52 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,630 was in full swing. 53 00:03:04,740 --> 00:03:07,740 The race to reach the furthest corners of the globe was on. 54 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,940 By 1909, 55 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,140 Frederick Cook and Robert Peary had both led expeditions 56 00:03:13,250 --> 00:03:15,350 to the North Pole. 57 00:03:15,450 --> 00:03:17,880 So the attention of the world's greatest explorers, 58 00:03:17,980 --> 00:03:21,720 men like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, 59 00:03:21,820 --> 00:03:25,090 and Ernest Shackleton, turned to the last unconquered 60 00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:27,960 place on Earth-- the South Pole. 61 00:03:28,060 --> 00:03:31,830 Whoever reached the South Pole first would go down in history. 62 00:03:31,930 --> 00:03:34,660 In 1912, 63 00:03:34,770 --> 00:03:38,100 after two failed attempts, Shackleton was planning 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,540 his third expedition to the South Pole 65 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,240 when the devastating word arrived that he had 66 00:03:43,340 --> 00:03:46,780 already been beaten there by fellow explorer, Amundsen. 67 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,520 But Shackleton wasn't going 68 00:03:55,620 --> 00:03:57,950 to give up on his lust for glory. 69 00:03:58,060 --> 00:04:00,290 He set his sights on a new goal. 70 00:04:00,390 --> 00:04:02,760 Although explorers had visited different sections 71 00:04:02,860 --> 00:04:04,960 of Antarctica, no one had ever 72 00:04:05,060 --> 00:04:07,760 trekked across the entire continent. 73 00:04:07,870 --> 00:04:10,530 The idea was bold and dangerous. 74 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,470 Shackleton named the adventure "The Imperial 75 00:04:13,570 --> 00:04:16,540 Trans-Antarctic Expedition." 76 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,340 So who was Sir Ernest Shackleton? 77 00:04:20,450 --> 00:04:24,410 What drove him to risk his life and the lives of others? 78 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,180 Why did he want to be first? 79 00:04:27,290 --> 00:04:29,990 To find out, I'm here at the institute archives 80 00:04:30,090 --> 00:04:33,190 to meet with a woman who knows the Shackleton legend 81 00:04:33,290 --> 00:04:35,360 better than anyone... 82 00:04:35,460 --> 00:04:37,530 his granddaughter. 83 00:04:45,740 --> 00:04:48,200 Alexandra--hello, Don. Nice to meet you. 84 00:04:48,310 --> 00:04:50,270 Oh, it's lovely to see you. It is an honor to meet you. 85 00:04:50,380 --> 00:04:52,980 WILDMAN: Alexandra's father was Shackleton's son. 86 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,380 Although she never met her famous grandfather, 87 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,180 she works tirelessly to preserve his legacy. 88 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:01,520 Today, she's sharing 89 00:05:01,620 --> 00:05:03,790 some of his most cherished items with me, 90 00:05:03,890 --> 00:05:06,590 including his own personal journal and an original 91 00:05:06,690 --> 00:05:08,960 brochure from the expedition. 92 00:05:09,060 --> 00:05:11,030 Oh, look at that. 93 00:05:11,130 --> 00:05:14,530 This was an enormous undertaking 94 00:05:14,630 --> 00:05:17,530 just to organize, nevermind to accomplish. 95 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,570 It was very ambitious. 96 00:05:19,670 --> 00:05:22,210 I mean, after Ernie Shackleton failed to get to the Pole, 97 00:05:22,310 --> 00:05:24,610 he regarded this as the last great adventure, 98 00:05:24,710 --> 00:05:26,710 to cross the Antarctic. 99 00:05:26,810 --> 00:05:28,980 WILDMAN: While some explorers were independently wealthy, 100 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,650 Shackleton was not, so he raised his money 101 00:05:31,750 --> 00:05:33,820 from rich donors who wanted to be associated 102 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,190 with a history-making feat. 103 00:05:36,290 --> 00:05:38,520 It took almost four years to put together 104 00:05:38,620 --> 00:05:41,260 the 80,000 pounds needed for the trip. 105 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,530 That's about $10 million today. 106 00:05:43,630 --> 00:05:46,630 Why the Antarctic? Because the Antarctic 107 00:05:46,730 --> 00:05:49,070 was unknown, beautiful, romantic, exciting, 108 00:05:49,170 --> 00:05:52,400 offered better possibilities for adventure and discovery 109 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:54,700 than probably any other part of the world. 110 00:05:54,810 --> 00:05:57,840 And the point of the expedition is that no one had ever 111 00:05:57,940 --> 00:06:00,640 crossed the continent. No one had done it before. 112 00:06:00,750 --> 00:06:03,910 WILDMAN: Unlike earlier explorers, who stood to make 113 00:06:04,020 --> 00:06:06,850 money from discovering new trade routes, 114 00:06:06,950 --> 00:06:10,950 polar adventurers were driven by competition and glory. 115 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,430 So he buys a ship called the Polaris , Yes. 116 00:06:17,530 --> 00:06:20,430 renames it the Endurance . Where did that name come from? SHACKLETON: Renames her. 117 00:06:20,530 --> 00:06:22,700 It's called Endurance 'cause it's a Shackleton family motto, 118 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,540 "By endurance we conquer." By endurance we conquer. 119 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,040 WILDMAN: One of ten children born into a middle class family, 120 00:06:29,140 --> 00:06:32,080 Shackleton joined the merchant navy at the age of 16 121 00:06:32,180 --> 00:06:34,880 and soon acquired a taste for adventure. 122 00:06:34,980 --> 00:06:37,510 His first experience in Antarctica 123 00:06:37,620 --> 00:06:40,080 was in 1901 as part of a failed attempt 124 00:06:40,190 --> 00:06:42,020 to trek to the South Pole. 125 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,020 There, he fell ill with scurvy, snow blindness, 126 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,160 and frostbite and only just made it back alive, 127 00:06:48,260 --> 00:06:50,860 but despite the defeat, the trip cemented 128 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,000 his desire to unlock the secrets of the frozen continent. 129 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,000 By the time he came to assemble the crew 130 00:07:01,110 --> 00:07:03,770 for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 131 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:05,940 his qualities as a leader 132 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,750 were well established. 133 00:07:08,850 --> 00:07:11,710 Shackleton was not a typical leader of those times. 134 00:07:11,820 --> 00:07:14,380 He took great trouble to get to know his men. 135 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:17,750 He was, um... very, very practical. 136 00:07:17,860 --> 00:07:19,820 He would do any odd job on an expedition, 137 00:07:19,930 --> 00:07:22,060 however menial, which was quite unusual 138 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,330 for 100 years ago, but he was also a very 139 00:07:24,430 --> 00:07:27,360 romantic man who wrote poetry and love literature. 140 00:07:27,470 --> 00:07:29,700 WILDMAN: Very disciplined person? SHACKLETON: Very disciplined. 141 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,140 Also, very pragmatic. Mm. 142 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,540 He didn't look back-- that was one of his most important qualities. 143 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,570 WILDMAN: Crewing up for the dangerous adventure 144 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,580 proved easier than he thought. 145 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,750 More than 5,000 people applied, each sharing 146 00:07:42,850 --> 00:07:45,620 in Shackleton's desire to be part of a momentous, 147 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,650 history-making journey. 148 00:07:47,750 --> 00:07:50,350 He once listed the qualities he required of a polar explorer, 149 00:07:50,460 --> 00:07:52,820 and the first one was optimism. 150 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:54,490 WILDMAN: With his pick of the litter, 151 00:07:54,590 --> 00:07:56,660 Shackleton was able to select the best of the best 152 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,500 and put together a robust and skilled crew. 153 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,670 Of the 27 men on board, there were not only 154 00:08:02,770 --> 00:08:05,300 professional seamen but scientists, 155 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,300 engineers, surgeons, and even a photographer 156 00:08:08,410 --> 00:08:11,440 and an artist--in fact, with help from one of 157 00:08:11,540 --> 00:08:13,740 the wealthy donors, the expedition was outfitted 158 00:08:13,850 --> 00:08:16,150 with both still and motion cameras, 159 00:08:16,250 --> 00:08:19,550 and the incredible footage still exists today. 160 00:08:23,390 --> 00:08:25,520 The Endurance was loaded with dried food 161 00:08:25,620 --> 00:08:28,520 and drinking water and more than 60 sled dogs 162 00:08:28,630 --> 00:08:31,030 to drag them across the continent. 163 00:08:31,130 --> 00:08:33,860 On August 1, 1914, 164 00:08:33,970 --> 00:08:36,400 Shackleton bid farewell to his family, 165 00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:39,000 and the ship set sail for Antarctica. 166 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:42,510 Shackleton was confident he would succeed. 167 00:08:49,650 --> 00:08:51,550 Five months later, as the Endurance 168 00:08:51,650 --> 00:08:54,150 made its way through the ice-packed Southern Ocean, 169 00:08:54,250 --> 00:08:56,790 they had their first 170 00:08:56,890 --> 00:08:59,660 spotting of the continent. 171 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,490 The expedition was going well. 172 00:09:02,590 --> 00:09:05,190 [ Distant shouting ] 173 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:06,860 But in mid-January, 174 00:09:06,970 --> 00:09:09,200 all that changed. 175 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:12,070 One hundred miles from the coast of Antarctica, 176 00:09:12,170 --> 00:09:15,270 they found themselves gridlocked in ice. 177 00:09:15,370 --> 00:09:18,840 The majestic vessel could no longer move. 178 00:09:18,940 --> 00:09:22,350 So describe for me exactly what happens when the Endurance 179 00:09:22,450 --> 00:09:24,180 first gets, uh, stranded. 180 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,450 Well, they tried to pull her out of it. 181 00:09:27,550 --> 00:09:30,650 They heaved her and then took ropes 182 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,460 and made a path through the ice, 183 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,560 but it was hopeless-- the ice was too heavy. 184 00:09:34,660 --> 00:09:36,860 WILDMAN: January 18, 1915. 185 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,430 Shackleton and his men were stranded in the middle 186 00:09:39,530 --> 00:09:42,700 of the Weddell Sea, inside the Antarctic Circle. 187 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,600 So Ernest Shackleton decides they have to abandon 188 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:48,740 the ship and live on the ice. Yes, beside her. 189 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,950 WILDMAN: The men unloaded their supplies of food 190 00:09:59,050 --> 00:10:01,280 and fresh water from the ship and set up camp 191 00:10:01,390 --> 00:10:03,390 on the ice. 192 00:10:03,490 --> 00:10:05,690 The plan was to wait for the weather to warm up 193 00:10:05,790 --> 00:10:08,690 so the ice would melt and allow them to sail on. 194 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:12,360 SHACKLETON: But Ernest Shackleton was very aware 195 00:10:12,460 --> 00:10:14,730 that people living in difficult and dangerous circumstances 196 00:10:14,830 --> 00:10:18,000 on the ice, routine was the key. 197 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:20,670 Breakfast was at nine, the jobs are shared out. 198 00:10:20,770 --> 00:10:24,770 There were football matches, there were amateur theatricals. 199 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,440 There were dog races, birthdays were celebrated Mmhm. 200 00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:29,450 to keep everyone busy. 201 00:10:29,550 --> 00:10:31,680 And he was beloved by his men. Yes. 202 00:10:31,780 --> 00:10:34,280 WILDMAN: Nicknamed "The Boss," 203 00:10:34,390 --> 00:10:37,790 Shackleton was dedicated to his crew's wellbeing. 204 00:10:37,890 --> 00:10:39,620 How did they eat-- what were they eating? 205 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:41,720 Well, there was a cook-- he would make bread, 206 00:10:41,830 --> 00:10:44,590 biscuits, stew--originally beef, but then it would be 207 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:47,060 penguin stew, whatever he could do. 208 00:10:47,170 --> 00:10:50,030 WILDMAN: Every morning, Shackleton would parse out 209 00:10:50,140 --> 00:10:53,140 the rations to all 27 men, making hot milk 210 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,640 and hand-delivering it to the tents. 211 00:10:55,740 --> 00:10:58,810 Still, conditions were brutal, 212 00:10:58,910 --> 00:11:02,380 and living on a slab of ice in the middle of the ocean 213 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,180 was incredibly dangerous. 214 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,950 As the sea surged beneath, 215 00:11:08,050 --> 00:11:11,920 the ice constantly shifted and cracked open unexpectedly. 216 00:11:12,020 --> 00:11:15,290 The men had to be vigilant so as not to end up 217 00:11:15,390 --> 00:11:17,960 in the frigid water. 218 00:11:18,060 --> 00:11:20,630 Did he have regrets about this, having put himself 219 00:11:20,730 --> 00:11:22,900 and his men in this situation? I don't think so. 220 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,800 Nobody had to come. They were all volunteers. Mmhm. Right. 221 00:11:29,970 --> 00:11:32,510 WILDMAN: As days and weeks ticked by, they tried to free 222 00:11:32,610 --> 00:11:35,680 their ship from the ice, but to no avail. 223 00:11:35,780 --> 00:11:39,520 On November 21st, eleven months 224 00:11:39,620 --> 00:11:42,390 after becoming trapped, the unthinkable happened. 225 00:11:46,090 --> 00:11:48,930 The shifting ice crushed the Endurance . 226 00:11:49,030 --> 00:11:51,960 The men watched as the masts crumbled under the strain, 227 00:11:52,060 --> 00:11:55,360 and their beloved ship sank to the bottom of the ocean. 228 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:58,330 Shackleton recorded the moment in this very diary. 229 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,640 "She went today, I was standing, ran up to the front. 230 00:12:01,740 --> 00:12:04,710 At 5pm, she went down by the head." 231 00:12:10,850 --> 00:12:12,780 They abandon the ship. Yes. 232 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,450 And, in essence, abandon the expedition, 233 00:12:15,550 --> 00:12:17,850 and it turns into a... Fight for survival. 234 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,390 ...a fight for survival. That's amazing. 235 00:12:20,490 --> 00:12:23,930 Their ship was gone, and with the expedition 236 00:12:24,030 --> 00:12:27,230 not due back in England for another two years, 237 00:12:27,330 --> 00:12:30,770 no one back home would have any idea they were in trouble. 238 00:12:30,870 --> 00:12:34,100 There would be no one coming to their rescue. 239 00:12:34,210 --> 00:12:38,010 How could they survive such a cold and desolate place? 240 00:12:38,110 --> 00:12:41,640 What were Shackleton and his men going to do now? 241 00:12:46,780 --> 00:12:48,820 WILDMAN: Polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, 242 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,320 and his 27 men were stranded near the Antarctic continent 243 00:12:52,420 --> 00:12:54,920 after their ship was crushed by ice and sank 244 00:12:55,030 --> 00:12:57,430 to the bottom of the sea. 245 00:12:57,530 --> 00:13:00,800 For a year, they lived on the unstable ice floe 246 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:03,470 as the water surged beneath them, 247 00:13:03,570 --> 00:13:06,100 their supplies and food running out. 248 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,670 Death was drawing near. 249 00:13:08,770 --> 00:13:11,510 What started as a rough adventure had become 250 00:13:11,610 --> 00:13:14,040 a daily fight for survival. 251 00:13:14,150 --> 00:13:16,250 As the men burned through their supplies, 252 00:13:16,350 --> 00:13:19,110 battled the elements, and struggled to stay sane, 253 00:13:19,220 --> 00:13:21,220 Shackleton made a decision. 254 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,750 The only way to survive was to leave the ice in search of land, 255 00:13:24,860 --> 00:13:28,420 but how in the world would they do that with a sunken ship? 256 00:13:33,870 --> 00:13:36,770 Before the Endurance sank, Shackleton had the foresight 257 00:13:36,870 --> 00:13:39,940 to retrieve three small lifeboats from the vessel. 258 00:13:42,570 --> 00:13:45,940 One of them, the James Caird , is on display here 259 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,610 at Shackleton's former school in London. 260 00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:50,510 Oh, hey, look at that. 261 00:13:50,620 --> 00:13:52,720 Pretty. 262 00:13:55,850 --> 00:13:58,120 These three tiny boats were their only hope 263 00:13:58,220 --> 00:14:00,360 of returning to civilization. 264 00:14:04,230 --> 00:14:06,830 But before they could even attempt to reach solid land, 265 00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:09,630 the boats would have to be transported more than 266 00:14:09,730 --> 00:14:12,770 ten miles across the ice to the open sea. 267 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,670 The men loaded the boats onto sledge runners, 268 00:14:17,780 --> 00:14:20,210 and along with a team of dogs, dragged them the vast 269 00:14:20,310 --> 00:14:22,750 distance to the water's edge. 270 00:14:22,850 --> 00:14:24,910 They had to be alert-- at any moment, 271 00:14:25,020 --> 00:14:27,350 the shifting ice beneath them could crack, 272 00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:30,050 and they'd be swallowed up by the bitter, cold sea. 273 00:14:30,150 --> 00:14:33,360 It was a miracle they had survived this long, 274 00:14:33,460 --> 00:14:37,330 but finally, they reached open water. 275 00:14:37,430 --> 00:14:40,200 But not everything or everyone 276 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:42,870 could fit into these tiny boats. 277 00:14:42,970 --> 00:14:46,200 Shackleton had to make a difficult decision. 278 00:14:46,300 --> 00:14:48,670 In order to save his entire crew of men, 279 00:14:48,770 --> 00:14:52,170 he'd have to sacrifice the team of dogs and use the meat 280 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,410 for sustenance on the near impossible journey to come. 281 00:14:55,510 --> 00:14:59,350 With the boats packed, Shackleton set his sights 282 00:14:59,450 --> 00:15:03,490 on the closest piece of land approximately 100 miles away, 283 00:15:03,590 --> 00:15:07,120 a bleak outcrop of rock known as Elephant Island. 284 00:15:07,220 --> 00:15:10,260 And led by the James Caird, they set out 285 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,130 in search of land-- what was it like 286 00:15:13,230 --> 00:15:16,570 for Shackleton and his men to sail in boats this size? 287 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,880 There's one person I know who can give me some answers. 288 00:15:26,980 --> 00:15:30,280 I'm up here in the coastal highlands of Scotland 289 00:15:30,380 --> 00:15:32,310 to meet with Seb Coulthard. 290 00:15:32,420 --> 00:15:34,980 Seb's a sailor, engineer, and adventurer with a unique 291 00:15:35,090 --> 00:15:37,290 insight into the Shackleton story. 292 00:15:37,390 --> 00:15:39,250 He knows a few things about the lifeboats 293 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,020 and the men who sail those. 294 00:15:44,300 --> 00:15:46,530 He's actually retraced Shackleton's journey 295 00:15:46,630 --> 00:15:48,700 in the waters surrounding Antarctica, 296 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,670 and he's built an exact replica of Shackleton's famous 297 00:15:51,770 --> 00:15:53,970 lifeboat, the James Caird . 298 00:15:54,070 --> 00:15:57,340 How you doing? Very well, thank you. 299 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,440 How are you? Don, nice to meet you. 300 00:16:01,450 --> 00:16:03,910 Ah, it is an honor and a privilege to be aboard this. 301 00:16:04,020 --> 00:16:06,920 Ha ha, it's a pleasure to have you on board. WILDMAN: Let's go sailin'. 302 00:16:07,020 --> 00:16:09,390 COULTHARD: Hand over hand, please. 303 00:16:09,490 --> 00:16:12,420 Watch your head, yard going up. 304 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,390 I mean, this is all very basic rigging, isn't it? It is. 305 00:16:15,490 --> 00:16:17,890 Oh, keep going. That's it. Yeah. 306 00:16:22,070 --> 00:16:24,370 WILDMAN: Tell me how exact is this boat? 307 00:16:24,470 --> 00:16:27,800 This is the most accurate replica, uh, 308 00:16:27,910 --> 00:16:29,810 sea-worthy replica in the world. 309 00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:32,440 You know, these fittings, they were all made 310 00:16:32,540 --> 00:16:34,580 by the same company that produced the original fittings 311 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:36,710 for the original boat. That's so cool! 312 00:16:36,810 --> 00:16:39,280 And I imagine underneath, same story, right? 313 00:16:39,380 --> 00:16:41,950 Everything down below is as authentic as we can get it. 314 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,660 Every single item here has a story behind it, 315 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:51,330 a function, at least, yeah? Yeah. 316 00:16:51,430 --> 00:16:53,330 Every piece was brought on board the boat 317 00:16:53,430 --> 00:16:56,930 for a very practical reason. Yeah. 318 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:01,270 So they would be sleeping right on these-- 319 00:17:01,370 --> 00:17:03,370 this bed of rocks. Yeah. 320 00:17:03,470 --> 00:17:07,310 In what? Um, they used reindeer-skin sleeping bags. 321 00:17:07,410 --> 00:17:09,580 Okay. 322 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:11,980 COULTHARD: Theirs were rotting. WILDMAN: Right. 323 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,020 COULTHARD: They were festering-- the hide was literally 324 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:17,320 dissolving, so you can imagine the smell. WILDMAN: Yeah, awful. 325 00:17:17,420 --> 00:17:19,590 WILDMAN: As the men sailed towards Elephant Island, 326 00:17:19,690 --> 00:17:22,020 the rough seas pummeled their boats. 327 00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:24,030 Everything was wet-- they were wet. 328 00:17:24,130 --> 00:17:27,500 Every wave would come in and just submerge people down here. 329 00:17:30,500 --> 00:17:32,700 I think the best way to describe it-- it was horrific. 330 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,580 WILDMAN: But the wild waters were just the beginning 331 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,910 of their problems-- once darkness fell, 332 00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:45,450 it was almost impossible for the three boats 333 00:17:45,550 --> 00:17:47,950 to stay in contact with each other. 334 00:17:48,050 --> 00:17:49,850 COULTHARD: Their biggest fear was the dark, WILDMAN: Hm. 335 00:17:49,950 --> 00:17:51,820 because you can't see the icebergs coming. 336 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:53,720 WILDMAN: So Shackleton instructed the men 337 00:17:53,820 --> 00:17:55,460 to pull the boats out of the water 338 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,560 and camp on an ice floe for the night. 339 00:17:58,660 --> 00:18:01,130 On top of all the other challenges, 340 00:18:01,230 --> 00:18:04,530 the freezing cold temperatures were a deadly threat. 341 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,340 It could be a hundred degrees below zero Fahrenheit. 342 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,110 Yeah, easily. What does that even feel like? 343 00:18:11,210 --> 00:18:13,840 It's horrifically painful. How did they stay warm? 344 00:18:13,940 --> 00:18:17,750 They had to wear a very complex layer system of clothing. Mmhm. 345 00:18:17,850 --> 00:18:20,420 Which, to be honest, is very comparable 346 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,820 to the, sort of, layering system that we use today. 347 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,390 WILDMAN: So you got four layers, is that right? 348 00:18:26,490 --> 00:18:29,560 You got the... Four layers, so there's your underwear. 349 00:18:29,660 --> 00:18:32,360 That's your Jaeger wool underwear. 350 00:18:32,460 --> 00:18:35,500 This is the mid layer, which goes on top. Yeah. 351 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,770 Then you have your insulating layer, 352 00:18:37,870 --> 00:18:40,970 that's your woolly jumper. There you go. 353 00:18:41,070 --> 00:18:44,970 And then you have the Gabardine cotton blouse. Ah. Ah. 354 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,080 WILDMAN: The cotton outer layer was oiled 355 00:18:47,180 --> 00:18:49,180 but not waterproof. 356 00:18:54,850 --> 00:18:57,790 The footwear, believe it or not, they didn't have enough leather 357 00:18:57,890 --> 00:18:59,790 boots to go around for everybody, 358 00:18:59,890 --> 00:19:03,990 so they used reindeer hide as reindeer hide socks 359 00:19:04,090 --> 00:19:06,330 and just pulled them on, and they were latched on 360 00:19:06,430 --> 00:19:09,630 around their ankles. Every part of their body had to be covered, 361 00:19:09,730 --> 00:19:12,270 or it would've gotten frostbite. Yeah. 362 00:19:12,370 --> 00:19:15,070 Every part, hands, head, 363 00:19:15,170 --> 00:19:16,840 face, had to be covered. 364 00:19:16,940 --> 00:19:20,440 Too much exposure to the cold will lead to hypothermia 365 00:19:20,540 --> 00:19:23,480 Sure. and frostbite and eventually death. 366 00:19:28,450 --> 00:19:30,350 WILDMAN: Being on this replica gives me a real 367 00:19:30,450 --> 00:19:32,860 appreciation for what Shackleton and his men were up against 368 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:35,790 in their hundred-mile passage to Elephant Island. 369 00:19:35,890 --> 00:19:39,230 COULTHARD: The Southern Ocean doesn't differentiate 370 00:19:39,330 --> 00:19:42,100 between a professional sailor or somebody who's 371 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,100 just taken up sailing. Sure. 372 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,700 It will kill you if you're not careful. 373 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,470 WILDMAN: It's one of the most unpredictable bodies of water in the world. 374 00:19:48,570 --> 00:19:51,070 There are huge swells, 375 00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:53,910 strong currents, and powerful tides, 376 00:19:54,010 --> 00:19:56,510 and that's not all-- if the crashing waves 377 00:19:56,610 --> 00:19:59,050 and subzero temperatures didn't kill them, 378 00:19:59,150 --> 00:20:01,820 something even more fearsome might. 379 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,720 Sure enough, as they made their way across the sea, 380 00:20:04,820 --> 00:20:08,220 a pod of killer whales swam dangerously close to them, 381 00:20:08,330 --> 00:20:11,390 and the wake threatened to capsize the three boats. 382 00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:15,200 To me, everything about this seems impossible. 383 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:23,570 Finally, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, 384 00:20:23,670 --> 00:20:27,640 Shackleton and his men and all three boats reach land. 385 00:20:27,750 --> 00:20:30,910 On April 16, 1916, 386 00:20:31,020 --> 00:20:33,720 after seven grueling days of sailing, 387 00:20:33,820 --> 00:20:36,520 the haggard group finally made it to Elephant Island. 388 00:20:36,620 --> 00:20:39,220 It was the first time they'd set foot 389 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,360 on physical land in nearly 500 days. 390 00:20:42,460 --> 00:20:44,660 Shackleton and his men made camp, 391 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,330 but without anyone else knowing where they were, 392 00:20:47,430 --> 00:20:49,770 how are they gonna be rescued, 393 00:20:49,870 --> 00:20:52,900 and how long could they actually survive here? 394 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,310 WILDMAN: In 1914, polar explorer, 395 00:21:03,410 --> 00:21:05,280 Sir Ernest Shackleton, and his crew 396 00:21:05,380 --> 00:21:07,450 set out to conquer Antarctica. 397 00:21:07,550 --> 00:21:10,050 But what started 398 00:21:10,150 --> 00:21:12,960 as a landmark expedition turned into an impossible 399 00:21:13,060 --> 00:21:15,060 quest for survival. 400 00:21:17,090 --> 00:21:19,700 After living from 15 months on the shifting ice 401 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,430 and sailing for seven harrowing days, 402 00:21:22,530 --> 00:21:25,770 Shackleton and his 27 men successfully made it 403 00:21:25,870 --> 00:21:29,510 to the shores of Elephant Island and set up camp. 404 00:21:29,610 --> 00:21:31,940 To simulate their experience, 405 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,210 I'm in Jungfrau, Switzerland. 406 00:21:34,310 --> 00:21:36,350 This place has 407 00:21:36,450 --> 00:21:39,210 a very similar terrain to islands in that region, 408 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,220 including Elephant Island. 409 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,690 I mean, being here gives me a real sense of what-- 410 00:21:43,790 --> 00:21:46,460 these harsh conditions the men were up against. 411 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,990 I'm with adventurer and Shackleton expert, Seb Coulthard, 412 00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:53,860 and we're racing against time and battling the elements 413 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:55,830 setting up for the night. 414 00:21:55,930 --> 00:21:58,170 That's a strong wind. It's what you're really dealing with here. 415 00:21:58,270 --> 00:21:59,670 Man, look at that strength of that wind. 416 00:21:59,770 --> 00:22:01,800 It's unbelievable when you're in these conditions. 417 00:22:01,910 --> 00:22:05,210 Elephant Island was uninhabited, 418 00:22:05,310 --> 00:22:07,940 and no one else knew where they were, 419 00:22:08,050 --> 00:22:11,780 so...should they just wait here and hope 420 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,280 or come up with a new plan? 421 00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:27,600 These guys have been-- have been living on ice 422 00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:29,730 for a long time. 423 00:22:29,830 --> 00:22:32,570 Now they're on land-- are there other challenges to that? 424 00:22:32,670 --> 00:22:36,540 Yes, the main challenge was finding, um, 425 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,640 a supply of food to supplement Yeah. 426 00:22:39,740 --> 00:22:42,910 The dried provisions that they had managed to save. 427 00:22:43,010 --> 00:22:45,010 The trouble is is that when winter comes, 428 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,280 the animals retreat, you know, they go to the feeding grounds 429 00:22:47,380 --> 00:22:50,350 in the warmer areas, so they had to kill 430 00:22:50,450 --> 00:22:53,360 as many penguins and as many seals as they could. Right. 431 00:22:53,460 --> 00:22:56,890 Then you need fire to keep them warm and fed. Right. 432 00:22:56,990 --> 00:22:59,800 How do they make a fire? I mean, we've done this... 433 00:22:59,900 --> 00:23:02,830 They actually run out of the supply of wood. Right. 434 00:23:02,930 --> 00:23:05,870 So they began to burn the seal skin, the blubber, 435 00:23:05,970 --> 00:23:09,710 the penguin skins from the animals that they were eating. 436 00:23:09,810 --> 00:23:12,070 I mean, these were despairing conditions, 437 00:23:12,180 --> 00:23:13,740 dire circumstances. 438 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,040 The men were in very poor physical condition 439 00:23:16,150 --> 00:23:18,710 at this point-- Shackleton felt 440 00:23:18,820 --> 00:23:21,950 he had to find some form of rescue. 441 00:23:22,050 --> 00:23:24,090 I mean...wow. 442 00:23:24,190 --> 00:23:27,420 The wind is really kicking up up here. [ Chuckles ] 443 00:23:27,530 --> 00:23:30,630 These lives, I mean, these guys' lives depended on Shackleton. 444 00:23:30,730 --> 00:23:32,690 He had that full responsibility. 445 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:34,360 Yeah, and he felt it. 446 00:23:39,670 --> 00:23:41,970 WILDMAN: On Elephant Island, the men's food supplies 447 00:23:42,070 --> 00:23:44,440 were dwindling-- Shackleton realized that time 448 00:23:44,540 --> 00:23:46,480 was running out. 449 00:23:46,580 --> 00:23:48,610 If he didn't act quickly, he and his men 450 00:23:48,710 --> 00:23:52,110 would surely die-- Shackleton made a decision. 451 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:55,320 He picked the five healthiest and strongest men 452 00:23:55,420 --> 00:23:57,890 and set off in the James Caird 453 00:23:57,990 --> 00:24:01,020 to South Georgia island, 800 miles away. 454 00:24:01,130 --> 00:24:04,890 There, they would find a whaling station 455 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,200 and, more importantly, people. 456 00:24:07,300 --> 00:24:09,500 If they could make it, 457 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,500 they had a chance to survive 458 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,800 and save the 22 men they left behind. 459 00:24:14,910 --> 00:24:18,910 It would be the most difficult journey of their lives. 460 00:24:22,980 --> 00:24:24,980 Day after day, the men braved the elements 461 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,450 as the violent sea threatened to capsize 462 00:24:27,550 --> 00:24:30,020 the small, wooden boat. 463 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:32,960 On the twelfth day, it looked as though 464 00:24:33,060 --> 00:24:35,160 their journey was over. 465 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,060 Shackleton was at the helm, and he can see 466 00:24:41,170 --> 00:24:43,400 this white line, and he thinks it's the horizon. 467 00:24:43,500 --> 00:24:44,830 It's not. 468 00:24:44,940 --> 00:24:48,070 It's the crest of an enormous wave starting to rise 469 00:24:48,170 --> 00:24:50,410 higher and higher and higher. WILDMAN: Ooh. 470 00:24:50,510 --> 00:24:52,240 COULTHARD: Almost 90 feet. Wow! 471 00:24:52,340 --> 00:24:53,910 And you can imagine the moment where he looks down 472 00:24:54,010 --> 00:24:56,080 at the skipper, and he looks him in the eye, and he goes, 473 00:24:56,180 --> 00:24:57,780 "Oh, my God, it's got us!" 474 00:25:00,780 --> 00:25:02,880 Everyone's freezing to death. It's frightening. 475 00:25:02,990 --> 00:25:05,750 Nobody knows precisely how is it that they manage to survive it. 476 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,060 WILDMAN: Shackleton and his men survive the wave, 477 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,470 but the James Caird did not fare as well. 478 00:25:16,570 --> 00:25:20,470 The boat was very badly damaged, and the planking 479 00:25:20,570 --> 00:25:22,500 began to open up, WILDMAN: Mmhm. 480 00:25:22,610 --> 00:25:25,440 uh, especially at the front of the boat where it met the wave head-on. 481 00:25:25,540 --> 00:25:27,910 And so they have to actually re--they had to 482 00:25:28,010 --> 00:25:29,580 repair the boat while they were sailing it. 483 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:31,450 They tried, but it didn't work. Oh. 484 00:25:31,550 --> 00:25:33,580 They didn't have the materials necessary to fix it, 485 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:35,580 um, so... 486 00:25:35,690 --> 00:25:37,890 They just keep on bailing. Keep on bailing. 487 00:25:37,990 --> 00:25:39,790 WILDMAN: Time was of the essence. 488 00:25:39,890 --> 00:25:42,290 If the boat filled with water, it would sink, 489 00:25:42,390 --> 00:25:44,990 and within minutes of being submerged, Shackleton 490 00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:47,000 and his men would die. 491 00:25:55,270 --> 00:25:57,710 WILDMAN: Polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, 492 00:25:57,810 --> 00:26:01,240 wanted to be the first person to cross the continent of Antarctica, 493 00:26:01,350 --> 00:26:04,880 but when his ship was crushed by ice and sank, 494 00:26:04,980 --> 00:26:08,550 his mission went from exploration to survival. 495 00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:13,360 Leaving 22 members of his crew on an uninhabited island, 496 00:26:13,460 --> 00:26:16,360 he and five others went in search of help. 497 00:26:16,460 --> 00:26:19,030 Their goal-- 498 00:26:19,130 --> 00:26:22,000 to sail 800 miles in a small lifeboat 499 00:26:22,100 --> 00:26:24,870 in some of the harshest conditions in the world 500 00:26:24,970 --> 00:26:28,540 to a whaling station on South Georgia Island. 501 00:26:30,340 --> 00:26:33,270 Their rescue mission was almost cut short by a rogue wave. 502 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,950 The boat was damaged, but they were able 503 00:26:39,050 --> 00:26:41,050 to bail out enough water to continue. 504 00:26:41,150 --> 00:26:43,450 [ Dramatic music ] 505 00:26:45,460 --> 00:26:47,360 As the journey wore on, 506 00:26:47,460 --> 00:26:49,890 the men's health began to fail, and seasickness, 507 00:26:49,990 --> 00:26:53,090 frostbite, and hypothermia took hold. 508 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,030 They were struggling to eat, struggling to drink, 509 00:26:56,130 --> 00:26:58,170 struggling to sleep. 510 00:26:58,270 --> 00:27:00,400 Can you even sleep on a boat like this? 511 00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:02,770 Not really, um... 512 00:27:02,870 --> 00:27:04,440 with the size of the waves they were experiencing, 513 00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:08,140 every time the trough of the waves heads towards the boat, 514 00:27:08,250 --> 00:27:10,350 it will smash onto the side of the boat, Wow. 515 00:27:10,450 --> 00:27:12,450 and down below, it's like a gunshot. 516 00:27:17,690 --> 00:27:19,620 WILDMAN: For Shackleton and his men to succeed, 517 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,530 they would need sustenance, but even the simple act of eating 518 00:27:23,630 --> 00:27:26,160 was a monumental challenge. 519 00:27:26,260 --> 00:27:30,500 We're gonna use this little implement here. 520 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,000 Clamp it between our feet. So this collaboration is how they did it. 521 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:36,400 It has to be-- you can't cook on your own. 522 00:27:36,510 --> 00:27:38,340 You have to have another person. 523 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:40,980 So what was on their menu? 524 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,450 They were eating, um, a substance called hoosh. 525 00:27:44,550 --> 00:27:47,950 It's beef fat and lean beef 526 00:27:48,050 --> 00:27:49,850 that's been blended together, fifty-fifty, 527 00:27:49,950 --> 00:27:53,320 and they would have eaten three of these a day. 528 00:27:53,420 --> 00:27:55,960 At the time, there's water comin' in here, there's wind, 529 00:27:56,060 --> 00:27:58,690 there's all this sort of thing-- this is not some easy-going experience. 530 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,630 No, imagine the waves crashing in, as well. Yeah. 531 00:28:02,730 --> 00:28:06,030 Because of the danger that this presents, 532 00:28:06,140 --> 00:28:09,500 this would've been a very, very tricky operation 533 00:28:09,610 --> 00:28:11,840 to carry out-- you imagine the clothing 534 00:28:11,940 --> 00:28:14,240 that they were wearing-- it was covered in blubber 535 00:28:14,340 --> 00:28:16,540 and oil, which made it water repellant. 536 00:28:16,650 --> 00:28:18,680 It also makes it flammable. 537 00:28:18,780 --> 00:28:20,480 God, that's just incredible. 538 00:28:20,580 --> 00:28:23,520 The fumes are almost seasickness-inducing. 539 00:28:23,620 --> 00:28:26,220 So, flame off. Okay, all right. 540 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:27,890 Flame's off. 541 00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:29,590 So at this point, Shackleton would've shouted out, 542 00:28:29,690 --> 00:28:32,230 "Hoosh!" and gone straight in with his spoon. 543 00:28:32,330 --> 00:28:34,360 And we'd all eat from the same thing? Everybody. 544 00:28:34,460 --> 00:28:36,060 All right. 545 00:28:36,170 --> 00:28:38,470 I am dreading this, I have to say. 546 00:28:42,870 --> 00:28:45,740 It's not bad. The food is the key. 547 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,540 Without--without the fuel to keep the body going, 548 00:28:48,650 --> 00:28:51,010 there would have been no rescue attempt. 549 00:28:55,290 --> 00:28:57,190 WILDMAN: Back on Elephant Island, the men were 550 00:28:57,290 --> 00:28:59,490 all becoming dangerously weak. 551 00:28:59,590 --> 00:29:01,290 Depression was prevalent. 552 00:29:01,390 --> 00:29:03,690 Many of them were ill and frostbitten. 553 00:29:03,790 --> 00:29:06,430 Still, they fought to survive. 554 00:29:06,530 --> 00:29:09,230 To stave off starvation, 555 00:29:09,330 --> 00:29:11,830 they hunted for penguins and seals. 556 00:29:11,940 --> 00:29:15,500 They used the two remaining lifeboats to block the wind, 557 00:29:15,610 --> 00:29:19,070 but there was no telling how long they will last. 558 00:29:23,610 --> 00:29:26,580 Against all odds, Shackleton once more 559 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,880 does the seemingly impossible. 560 00:29:35,990 --> 00:29:38,560 Seventeen long days after leaving his men behind 561 00:29:38,660 --> 00:29:41,660 on Elephant Island, Shackleton and his team 562 00:29:41,770 --> 00:29:43,770 reach the shores of South Georgia. 563 00:29:47,140 --> 00:29:49,740 Hungry, thirsty, and soaked to the bone, 564 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:53,070 their journey was still not over. 565 00:29:53,180 --> 00:29:55,080 The wind and currents had forced them 566 00:29:55,180 --> 00:29:57,410 to land on the western side of the island, 567 00:29:57,510 --> 00:30:00,580 opposite from where they needed to be, 568 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:04,520 but their boat was so badly damaged, it would never 569 00:30:04,620 --> 00:30:07,190 make the trip around the island. 570 00:30:13,330 --> 00:30:15,730 They were 30 miles from the nearest whaling village 571 00:30:15,830 --> 00:30:18,270 and civilization-- the only way to get there 572 00:30:18,370 --> 00:30:21,170 was to trek over the mountains, but some of the men 573 00:30:21,270 --> 00:30:25,240 were in no condition to hike, suffering from frost nip 574 00:30:25,340 --> 00:30:28,440 and trench foot-- what would Shackleton do? 575 00:30:28,550 --> 00:30:31,480 Would he be able to save the men he was with? 576 00:30:31,580 --> 00:30:34,620 And what about the 22 others now stranded 577 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,920 on Elephant Island? 578 00:30:44,460 --> 00:30:47,460 WILDMAN: Having lost his ship to the icy waters of the Antarctic, 579 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,560 then living on an ice floe for 15 months, 580 00:30:50,670 --> 00:30:53,600 Sir Ernest Shackleton set out with a crew of five 581 00:30:53,700 --> 00:30:56,540 on an 800-mile, 17-day journey 582 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,140 to South Georgia Island to rescue 583 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,110 the 22 men they'd left behind. 584 00:31:02,210 --> 00:31:04,610 His navigator, Frank Worsley, and the four others 585 00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:07,620 barely survive the agonizing passage. 586 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:09,980 While they had made it to shore, 587 00:31:10,090 --> 00:31:12,820 salvation was still a long way off. 588 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,000 To reach the whaling villages based on the island, 589 00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:24,530 Shackleton and his men would have to hike 590 00:31:24,630 --> 00:31:27,070 snow-covered mountains, avoiding the steep, 591 00:31:27,170 --> 00:31:30,000 dangerous crevasses that would mean instant death 592 00:31:30,110 --> 00:31:32,140 if they were to slip and fall. 593 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,010 Realizing that Worsley and a naval petty officer 594 00:31:35,110 --> 00:31:37,810 named Tom Crean were the only two fit 595 00:31:37,910 --> 00:31:41,020 for the excursion, he instructed the other three men 596 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,920 to stay behind, vowing to return for them. 597 00:31:49,790 --> 00:31:51,690 On top of being an expert sailor, 598 00:31:51,790 --> 00:31:54,030 my partner, Seb Coulthard, is also a certified 599 00:31:54,130 --> 00:31:56,230 mountaineering guide. 600 00:31:56,330 --> 00:31:59,670 I'm astonished, I mean, this is extreme terrain. 601 00:31:59,770 --> 00:32:02,600 This is what it was like for them? Yes, absolutely. 602 00:32:02,710 --> 00:32:06,440 I would say this is very comparable to that mountain range. 603 00:32:06,540 --> 00:32:08,140 WILDMAN: Shackleton and his men had landed 604 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:10,510 on the western side of the island. 605 00:32:10,610 --> 00:32:12,910 To reach the whaling station on the other side, 606 00:32:13,020 --> 00:32:15,280 they would have to cross a totally uncharted 607 00:32:15,380 --> 00:32:18,250 mountain range in freezing conditions. 608 00:32:18,350 --> 00:32:20,750 This is the part of the journey that most surprises me, 609 00:32:20,860 --> 00:32:22,860 because after all they've gone through, 610 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,330 they have to do this. Yes. 611 00:32:25,430 --> 00:32:28,700 And get through it without nearly the gear that we have. 612 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,330 What are you gonna put on me? Okay, so, uh, what we've got-- 613 00:32:31,430 --> 00:32:33,170 We've got rope, so you and I need to be 614 00:32:33,270 --> 00:32:34,670 roped up together. Yeah, okay. 615 00:32:34,770 --> 00:32:38,040 Uh, in case either I fall down a hole, or you go down a hole. Yeah. 616 00:32:38,140 --> 00:32:40,170 Spikes for your boots. 617 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,880 Back then...all they did 618 00:32:42,980 --> 00:32:46,010 was, uh, they took wood screws 619 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,780 out of the planking from the boat, 620 00:32:48,890 --> 00:32:51,390 and they put them through the bottom of the boots 621 00:32:51,490 --> 00:32:53,490 in order to have traction on the ice. 622 00:32:53,590 --> 00:32:56,360 That was their equivalent of crampons. 623 00:32:56,460 --> 00:32:59,190 Yeah, very crude, but believe it or not, it's very effective. 624 00:32:59,300 --> 00:33:02,060 So the inherent problem with South Georgia Island 625 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,060 is glaciers. Yes. 626 00:33:04,170 --> 00:33:06,400 It's probably the most dangerous, um, 627 00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:09,640 feature of the landscape. Sure. 628 00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:12,010 The route they proposed to take, um, 629 00:33:12,110 --> 00:33:14,110 involved crossing, um, 630 00:33:14,210 --> 00:33:16,710 two of the main glaciers. 631 00:33:16,810 --> 00:33:18,710 Did they know those glaciers were there when they arrived there? 632 00:33:18,810 --> 00:33:21,980 No, there was no map for the interior of South Georgia. 633 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,990 So when crossing a mountain with glaciers, 634 00:33:25,090 --> 00:33:27,050 I mean, what are the factors you're dealing with? 635 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,060 It's almost like going through a minefield, isn't it? 636 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,590 You could crash through a crevasse at any point. 637 00:33:31,690 --> 00:33:33,560 [ Makes whistling noise ] 638 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:36,600 And these are men who are exhausted, I mean, 639 00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:39,670 they've been doing this for, what, two and a half weeks 640 00:33:39,770 --> 00:33:41,570 at this point. Yeah, physically, 641 00:33:41,670 --> 00:33:45,270 the demand of that is just, uh, 642 00:33:45,370 --> 00:33:47,740 it's unbelievable--it's very hard to comprehend, really. 643 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,310 Let's see what we find. 644 00:33:50,410 --> 00:33:52,480 I'll be the guy on the rope behind you. 645 00:33:57,490 --> 00:34:00,320 WILDMAN: We have UV sunglasses to protect from snow blindness, 646 00:34:00,420 --> 00:34:04,360 but Shackleton and his men had no such luxury. 647 00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:08,230 The intense sunlight scorched their eyes. 648 00:34:08,330 --> 00:34:10,970 Incredible. 649 00:34:11,070 --> 00:34:13,330 It was certainly a-- a test of... 650 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,440 their endurance. 651 00:34:15,540 --> 00:34:17,740 WILDMAN: After an hour of trudging through the elements, 652 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,740 we came face-to-face with an obstacle 653 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,810 that could spell disaster. 654 00:34:21,910 --> 00:34:25,280 COULTHARD: This is the biggest crevasse I've ever come across. 655 00:34:25,380 --> 00:34:27,780 WILDMAN: But I wanna get a closer look. 656 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:29,880 We'll just keep going up in a straight line. 657 00:34:29,990 --> 00:34:31,950 I'll stop, rig up an anchor, 658 00:34:32,050 --> 00:34:33,950 and then you can go to the edge. 659 00:34:34,060 --> 00:34:35,260 Following you. All right. 660 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,190 Just remember to test that edge, all right? Yep. 661 00:34:37,290 --> 00:34:40,930 Walk out, okay, I've got the rope. 662 00:34:41,030 --> 00:34:43,960 Test the snow. 663 00:34:44,070 --> 00:34:46,600 Yeah, test the edge. 664 00:34:46,700 --> 00:34:49,000 Ah, jeez... Whoa, whoa, whoa, right, right. 665 00:34:49,110 --> 00:34:51,510 You need to lay down. Lay down. 666 00:34:51,610 --> 00:34:54,880 Okay, and just... Feels solid. 667 00:34:54,980 --> 00:34:58,010 Okay, that's it, that's it. Oh, my God! 668 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,890 Holy crap! [ Coulthard laughs ] 669 00:35:04,990 --> 00:35:07,960 That is unbelievable! Yeah? 670 00:35:08,060 --> 00:35:10,120 COULTHARD: They're called man eaters 671 00:35:10,230 --> 00:35:12,860 for a reason. That is terrifying! 672 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,160 Oh, my Lord. 673 00:35:17,170 --> 00:35:18,870 This would be typical of something they were 674 00:35:18,970 --> 00:35:21,270 crossing, huh? Yeah, absolutely. 675 00:35:25,110 --> 00:35:26,840 How would they have navigated all of this? 676 00:35:26,940 --> 00:35:29,840 They just had a compass, and they set 677 00:35:29,950 --> 00:35:33,050 an east magnetic course knowing that in the distance, 678 00:35:33,150 --> 00:35:35,950 there was a whaling station. A terrifying experience 679 00:35:36,050 --> 00:35:37,990 for these guys. Frightening. 680 00:35:38,090 --> 00:35:40,350 Did they sleep? They did. 681 00:35:40,460 --> 00:35:43,320 But, uh, Shackleton cheated. 682 00:35:43,430 --> 00:35:46,660 Basically, when they reached a certain point 683 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,630 on one of the ridges, they were so exhausted, 684 00:35:49,730 --> 00:35:52,430 they just collapsed, and they began to go 685 00:35:52,540 --> 00:35:55,240 into a hypothermic sleep, and Shackleton knew 686 00:35:55,340 --> 00:35:58,840 if they fall asleep in deep sleep, then... 687 00:35:58,940 --> 00:36:00,870 It was over. That was it, it was over. 688 00:36:00,980 --> 00:36:04,550 So he wakes them up and said, "Hey, you've had half an hour," 689 00:36:04,650 --> 00:36:08,120 and instead, they only had five minutes. Wow, little psychological trick. 690 00:36:08,220 --> 00:36:10,650 Yeah, he just picked them up and carried on. 691 00:36:10,750 --> 00:36:14,190 WILDMAN: The men struggle on for hours. 692 00:36:16,930 --> 00:36:18,630 Look at this-- we're socked in here. 693 00:36:18,730 --> 00:36:20,390 Look how fast the weather changed here. 694 00:36:20,500 --> 00:36:22,830 COULTHARD: Yeah, the weather in South Georgia Yeah. 695 00:36:22,930 --> 00:36:25,270 changes very, very, very quick. Mmhm. 696 00:36:25,370 --> 00:36:27,500 The wind can pick up from zero to 50 knots. 697 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,170 Let's get out of here, because this weather's gonna 698 00:36:30,270 --> 00:36:33,170 catch up with us if we're not careful. [ Grunts ] 699 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:35,740 WILDMAN: Shackleton and his two crewmembers climbed up 700 00:36:35,850 --> 00:36:38,750 the mountainside to the ridge only to confront 701 00:36:38,850 --> 00:36:40,750 yet another hurdle. 702 00:36:40,850 --> 00:36:43,750 Very steep gradient. WILDMAN: Wow! 703 00:36:43,850 --> 00:36:45,950 COULTHARD: Yeah, watch the edge. Don't get too close. 704 00:36:46,060 --> 00:36:48,190 So did Shackleton face this kind of obstacle? 705 00:36:48,290 --> 00:36:51,020 Yeah, the weather was closing in from behind, 706 00:36:51,130 --> 00:36:53,760 and they knew that if they stayed there, 707 00:36:53,860 --> 00:36:55,960 they were gonna freeze to death, so they had to descend 708 00:36:56,070 --> 00:36:58,830 quickly, and the only way to do that in their position, 709 00:36:58,930 --> 00:37:02,540 um, was a known mountaineering technique called a glacade. 710 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,670 Uh, it's basically a bum slide. 711 00:37:04,770 --> 00:37:06,440 WILDMAN: So this is their only alternative. 712 00:37:06,540 --> 00:37:09,140 Otherwise, they stay on this ridge, and they die. Yep. 713 00:37:09,250 --> 00:37:12,150 It's incredible-- so Shackleton makes the call, 714 00:37:12,250 --> 00:37:15,250 we're going down that hill. Yeah, shove off. 715 00:37:15,350 --> 00:37:17,450 Yah! Ooooh! 716 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,020 Rahhh. [ Grunting ] 717 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,130 You okay? 718 00:37:28,230 --> 00:37:31,200 Yeah, I'm fine, but... you can feel the danger. 719 00:37:35,770 --> 00:37:38,040 WILDMAN: After hiking for nearly 30 miles 720 00:37:38,140 --> 00:37:41,610 and 36 hours, Shackleton and his men heard 721 00:37:41,710 --> 00:37:44,240 the sweetest sound imaginable-- 722 00:37:44,350 --> 00:37:47,350 the whistle blow from the whaling station. 723 00:37:47,450 --> 00:37:49,880 Their destination was a reality. 724 00:37:51,990 --> 00:37:53,950 On May 20, 1916, 725 00:37:54,060 --> 00:37:56,660 the men arrived at Stromness Whaling Station 726 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,560 and told their unbelievable story. 727 00:38:00,660 --> 00:38:04,570 Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean were finally safe, 728 00:38:04,670 --> 00:38:07,430 but there were still the three men left behind 729 00:38:07,540 --> 00:38:09,600 on the other side of South Georgia, 730 00:38:09,710 --> 00:38:12,210 and what about the 22 back on Elephant Island? 731 00:38:12,310 --> 00:38:14,440 Could Shackleton save them, 732 00:38:14,540 --> 00:38:16,610 and were they still alive? 733 00:38:23,390 --> 00:38:25,750 Polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, 734 00:38:25,860 --> 00:38:28,490 had set out to cross the continent of Antarctica, 735 00:38:28,590 --> 00:38:31,030 but before he could reach his goal, his ship sank 736 00:38:31,130 --> 00:38:34,330 and turned his expedition into a fight for survival. 737 00:38:34,430 --> 00:38:37,230 Now, against all odds, 738 00:38:37,330 --> 00:38:39,670 after hiking for 36 hours, 739 00:38:39,770 --> 00:38:42,940 Shackleton and two of his men had made it safely 740 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,170 back to civilization. 741 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:48,140 But the celebration was short-lived. 742 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:50,610 Shackleton's mission was not over. 743 00:38:50,710 --> 00:38:53,650 He had made a promise to the men he left behind, 744 00:38:53,750 --> 00:38:56,550 three on the other side of South Georgia, 745 00:38:56,650 --> 00:38:59,690 and 22 stranded on Elephant Island. 746 00:38:59,790 --> 00:39:03,190 There was no way of knowing if they were even alive. 747 00:39:03,290 --> 00:39:06,230 First, they picked up the three men, 748 00:39:06,330 --> 00:39:09,400 but getting to Elephant Island was far more difficult. 749 00:39:14,870 --> 00:39:16,770 The first attempt failed. 750 00:39:16,870 --> 00:39:19,040 So did the second. 751 00:39:19,140 --> 00:39:21,510 Both times, they ships were unable to crash 752 00:39:21,610 --> 00:39:24,250 through the ice pack and had to abort the rescue, 753 00:39:24,350 --> 00:39:27,850 but Shackleton wouldn't give up. 754 00:39:27,950 --> 00:39:31,650 On August 30, 1916, 755 00:39:31,750 --> 00:39:35,360 on a loaned out Chilean steamer, Shackleton arrived 756 00:39:35,460 --> 00:39:38,030 at the shores of Elephant Island. 757 00:39:38,130 --> 00:39:40,700 All of his men were still alive. 758 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,530 For more than two years, the team from 759 00:39:44,630 --> 00:39:47,240 the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 760 00:39:47,340 --> 00:39:50,810 had lived on the ice, sailed treacherous waters, 761 00:39:50,910 --> 00:39:53,910 and crossed uncharted mountains and glaciers. 762 00:40:01,220 --> 00:40:03,920 Miraculously, Shackleton and all 27 men 763 00:40:04,020 --> 00:40:06,450 returned home to England. 764 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:08,960 They had survived certain death 765 00:40:09,060 --> 00:40:11,760 and lived to tell the tale. 766 00:40:11,860 --> 00:40:14,360 Shackleton had achieved the unimaginable, 767 00:40:14,460 --> 00:40:17,160 conquering the deadliest elements known to man 768 00:40:17,270 --> 00:40:20,500 and somehow ensuring the safe return of his entire crew. 769 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,070 As tales of this incredible journey spread, 770 00:40:24,170 --> 00:40:27,440 Ernest Shackleton's name became associated with fearless 771 00:40:27,540 --> 00:40:30,650 and unwavering leadership, and with that, 772 00:40:30,750 --> 00:40:33,410 Shackleton cemented his place in history. 773 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,220 His journey of survival 774 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,720 became his greatest accomplishment, 775 00:40:38,820 --> 00:40:42,490 putting him in a category all of his own. 776 00:40:49,700 --> 00:40:52,830 In the glimmering twilight, a lone star hovers, 777 00:40:52,940 --> 00:40:55,370 gem-like above the bay. 778 00:40:55,470 --> 00:40:57,410 WILDMAN: These were the final words written 779 00:40:57,510 --> 00:41:00,040 by Ernest Shackleton in his diary while on 780 00:41:00,140 --> 00:41:02,910 what would be his last expedition to Antarctica. 781 00:41:03,010 --> 00:41:05,450 A few minutes later, 782 00:41:05,550 --> 00:41:07,650 he suffered a fatal heart attack. 783 00:41:07,750 --> 00:41:10,690 It was January 1922. 784 00:41:10,790 --> 00:41:13,120 He was 47 years old. 785 00:41:13,220 --> 00:41:16,460 His wife, Emily, felt that her husband was an explorer 786 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:19,330 of the world and belonged where his heart and passion 787 00:41:19,430 --> 00:41:21,630 truly lived. 788 00:41:21,730 --> 00:41:24,770 At her request, he was buried 789 00:41:24,870 --> 00:41:27,100 on South Georgia Island. 790 00:41:33,780 --> 00:41:36,210 Even though Shackleton never fulfilled his quest, 791 00:41:36,310 --> 00:41:38,580 he was celebrated as a hero. 792 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,180 His success was measured not by the failure 793 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:44,450 of his original mission, but by the determined rescue 794 00:41:44,550 --> 00:41:47,250 of his crew-- today, he's considered 795 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:49,560 one of the world's greatest leaders, 796 00:41:49,660 --> 00:41:52,190 a man who embodied his own family's motto-- 797 00:41:52,300 --> 00:41:54,530 "By endurance we conquer." 797 00:41:55,305 --> 00:42:55,492