It was four months before the men on Elephant Island were saved. Winter ice and a lack of suitable ships due to World War I slowed the rescue operation. It was finally a small Chilean tug called the Yelcho that made the pickup.

The marooned men went crazy with excitement when they saw the little boat approach with Shackleton himself aboard. When the boat neared, Shackleton stood up in its bow, calling, "Are you all well?" To which was answered, "All safe, Boss, all well."

Though this journey, too, proved to be unsuccessful for Shackleton, he continued his interest in polar exploration. He died in 1922 at age 47 on South Georgia Island in preparation for another trip. His dream that the British would be first to traverse the South Polar continent did come true, but not until the late 1950s when Vivien Fuchs made the trek using motorized vehicles.