On March 15, 1931, a cache of dynamite being stored in case it was needed to break the ship free from the ice pans exploded, destroying the stern of the ship, killing 28 men, including Frissell. The ship subsequently sank, and Frissell's body and his pet Newfoundland dog, Cabot, were never found. "White Thunder", a National Film Board documentary on Frissell's life, directed by Newfoundlander Victoria King, was released in 2002.