The wreckage of one of two ships lost in an expedition to Canada’s fabled Northwest Passage by naval officer and explorer Sir John Franklin in 1845 has been found.

The search operation lasted until 1859 but no sign of the vessels was ever discovered.

Parks Canada archaeologists located the ship using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle and ends a historical mystery that has gripped Canadians for 160 years.

“This is a great historic event. For more than a century, this has been a great Canadian story and mystery. I say it has been the subject of scientists and historians and writers and singers and so, I think we have a really important day in mapping together the history of our country,” said Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

Canada’s government began searching for Franklin’s ships as it looks to assert Ottawa’s sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, where melting Arctic ice has unlocked the very shipping route Franklin and his hand-picked crew were hoping to discover.