Gold Rush: Parker's Trail (2017–2019): Season 3, Episode 1 - Legendary Prospects - full transcript
HOLY COW. LOOK AT THAT.
RIGHT NOW, I JUST WANT TO GO
ON A BIG, EPIC ADVENTURE.
I NEED TO GO SOMEPLACE WILD
AND GO SOMEPLACE DANGEROUS
AND GO, YOU KNOW, EXPLORE THE
PLACES THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T.
♪♪
PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
THERE'S TWO REASONS
WE'RE GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
THE FIRST IS TO REALLY RECONNECT
WITH MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
FROM WORLD WAR II.
John:
PEARL HARBOR WAS AN INCENTIVE
FOR ME TO JOIN THE NAVY.
IT WAS A PRETTY BRUTAL
EXPERIENCE FOR HIM
THAT HE DID NOT LIKE
TO TALK ABOUT.
I DON'T WANT YOU
TO HAVE TO WALK THROUGH
SOME OF THE MISERIES
THAT I'VE HAD TO WALK THROUGH.
♪♪
THIS IS AWESOME.
THE PIECES THAT WE
PUT TOGETHER HERE
ARE ALL THE ANSWERS
I'LL EVER BE ABLE TO GET.
[ SNIFFLES ]
SECOND BIG REASON FOR AN
ADVENTURE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA...
WE'RE GOING TO SHAKE ONE DOWN
RIGHT HERE, FRED.
...IS THERE'S A HUGE
AMOUNT OF GOLD.
OH, LOOKS LIKE
WE GOT SOMETHING. SEE?
WE'RE LESS THAN A MILE AWAY
FROM A PLACE WHERE MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF OUNCES
OF GOLD HAVE BEEN FOUND,
BUT IT'S ONE
OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES
IN THE WORLD.
IN THIS PLACE, YOU HAVE
TO HAVE A POLICE ESCORT.
Man: [BLEEP]
[ SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
OH [BLEEP]
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
[BLEEP] [BLEEP]
-GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!
-GO, GO, GO, GO.
Parker:
IT'S WILDER THAN THE WILD WEST.
YOU SCREW UP,
AND YOU'RE A DEAD MAN.
Fred: PARKER!
♪♪
DON'T FALL OFF
THIS [BLEEP] THING!
[ SIGHS ]
IT'S BEEN A LONG [BLEEP] YEAR.
EVERYTHING'S COMPLETELY FROZEN.
HEY, SHUT HIM DOWN!
HOLY [BLEEP]
THAT IS NOT GOOD.
LIKE, WE'VE JUST HAD
EVERYTHING HAPPEN.
WE'VE HAD MASSIVE AMOUNTS
OF BREAKDOWNS...
YOU'VE GOT TO BE
KIDDING ME!
MITCH, THIS [BLEEP]
THING'S ON FIRE.
...MASSIVE AMOUNTS
OF ISSUES WITH TONY.
YOU WANT 100 OUNCES
LIKE NOW?
LIKE, A CHRONIC DISEASE,
I CAN'T SHAKE THIS [BLEEP] GUY.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE,
WE'VE HAD,
LIKE, MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF GOLD.
LIKE, IT'S THE BEST SEASON
WE'VE EVER HAD.
OUR SEASON TOTAL,
7,427 POINT --
-[ LAUGHS ]
-WHAT?
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT I THINK THIS YEAR,
MORE SO THAN ANY,
I'VE HAD A ROUGH TIME,
PERSONALLY,
BECAUSE OF, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, ASHLEY AND I
HAVE BROKEN UP.
SHE WAS THE FIRST,
YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM,
REAL GIRLFRIEND I'VE HAD.
AND RICK NESS,
OUR FOREMAN, LEFT.
YEAH, I'M GOING OUT
MINING ON MY OWN.
GEEZ.
THAT WAS THE DOUBLE WHAMMY,
AND THAT ALL CAME OFF THE BACK
OF MY GRANDFATHER DYING,
SO, LIKE, IT'S A LOT OF STUFF
HITTING AT ONCE.
[ GUNSHOTS ]
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SOUL
SEARCHING FOR ME THIS YEAR,
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT,
LIKE, GUYANA SHOWED ME LAST YEAR
IS THAT I KIND OF WANT
TO JUST SPEND SOME TIME
WORRYING ABOUT SURVIVING
AND JUST WORRYING ABOUT TOMORROW
AND NOT WHAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH
OR A YEAR AGO OR WHATEVER.
♪♪
UNBELIEVABLE!
Narrator: LAST OFF-SEASON,
PARKER HEADED TO SOUTH AMERICA
TO PROSPECT FOR GOLD IN THE
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS OF GUYANA.
MOVING DIRT, HUH, RICK?
MOVING DIRT!
[BLEEP] GUYANA WAS RAD.
I LOVED GUYANA.
LET'S GO FIND
THE [BLEEP] GOLD.
SUPER IN, MAN.
IT REALLY OPENED MY EYES
TO THE WORLD.
LIKE, IT WAS MY FIRST TIME
IN A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
THAT WE WERE OUT SOMEPLACE
WHERE YOU'RE TAKING
VERY SERIOUS RISKS.
WE'VE JUST GOT TO DO IT.
ONE, TWO, THREE!
-PULL!
-AAH!
-AAH!
-PARKER!
♪♪
Narrator: JOINING PARKER
ON LAST YEAR'S EXPEDITION,
EX-FOREMAN RICK NESS...
NOT TODAY, FISH.
I'M EATING YOU.
Narrator: ...WILDERNESS EXPERT
KARLA ANN...
STOP, STOP, RICK.
STOP!
THIS JUNGLE WILL EAT YOU UP
IN A SECOND
IF YOU DON'T RESPECT IT.
Narrator: ...AND ADVENTURE
CAMERAMAN SAM BROWN.
Parker:
WHOA. QUICKSAND.
-WHOA.
-WOW.
OH.
♪♪
I JUST NEED A RESET.
LIKE, I NEED A BIG ADVENTURE
WITH SOME GOOD FRIENDS AND...
AND JUST...GO.
♪♪
Narrator:
PARKER IS HOPING TO RETRACE
HIS GRANDFATHER'S WARTIME
JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC
AND TO LEARN
HOW THE PAPUANS MINE GOLD.
HE'S ASKED FRIEND
AND CAMERAMAN SAM BROWN
TO SCOUT OUT PAPUA NEW GUINEA
AND FIND A GOLD TRAIL.
YEAH, I'M JUST COMING DOWN HERE
TO PICK UP SAM.
HE JUST GOT BACK
FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.
GOOD TO SEE
HE'S STILL ALIVE, ANYWAY.
♪♪
-[ LAUGHS ]
-HEY!
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN.
-GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
-AH. HOW YOU KEEPING?
Parker:
YEAH, GOOD. HOP IN.
YOU'RE STUCK WITH THE DOG.[ LAUGHS ]
HOW'S IT GOING, MAN?I'M GOOD, MAN. I'M GOOD.
SO, HOW'S THINGS?
THE HISTORY, THE PEOPLE,
THERE'S SO MUCH GOLD THERE.
THERE'S GUYS OUT THERE
WITH NOTHING BUT A GOLD PAN,
YOU KNOW,
KIND OF PICKING NUGGETS,
LIKE, LITERALLY OUT OF THE CREEK
OR FROM UNDER BOULDERS,
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME
OF THE BIGGEST GOLD MINES
IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: EVERY YEAR,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRODUCES
$2.6 BILLION WORTH OF GOLD.
♪♪
THIS REMOTE ISLAND NATION
IS LOCATED IN A REGION
KNOWN AS "THE RING OF FIRE,"
AND HAS MORE THAN 60 VOLCANOES,
THE MOST
IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC.
WHEN TECTONIC PLATES COVERING
THE EARTH'S SURFACE COLLIDE,
EARTHQUAKES FORCE
MINERAL-RICH MAGMA
UP THROUGH THE EARTH'S CRUST.
THE LAVA CRYSTALLIZES,
BECOMING A SILICA-RICH FLUID
THAT PUSHES THROUGH CRACKS
AND FORMS QUARTZ VEINS.
IT'S INSIDE THESE VEINS
WHERE GOLD IS DEPOSITED
AND WHY PAPUA NEW GUINEA
IS ONE OF THE MOST
GOLD-RICH PLACES ON THE PLANET.
♪♪
PAPUA NEW GUINEA IS NUTS.
[ CHUCKLES ]
SO MANY WAYS WE CAN
KILL OURSELVES OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, ALL THE SNAKES,
ALL THE SPIDERS,
ALL THE NASTY DISEASES ARE
POTENTIALLY GENUINELY DANGEROUS.
♪♪
ITS VENOMOUS SNAKES
AND GIANT, FAST-MOVING SPIDERS
ARE AMONG THE DEADLIEST
IN THE WORLD.
♪♪
TRIBAL DISPUTES
OFTEN TURN VIOLENT,
AND FREQUENT MONSOONS, TSUNAMIS,
AND EARTHQUAKES
CLAIM MANY LIVES.
♪♪
IT'S GOING TO BE SO MUCH HARDER
THAN LAST YEAR.
LIKE, THE FITNESS LEVELS
WE'LL NEED -- LIKE,
YOU KNOW MOST OF THE JUNGLE
WE WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR
WAS PRETTY FLAT?
-YEAH.
LIKE, THIS IS MOUNTAINS,
VALLEYS, MOUNTAINS,
VALLEYS, LIKE, CLIFFS.
RICK'S GOING TO STRUGGLE.
YOU THINK RICK'S UP FOR THIS?
[BLEEP] MAN, I WENT AND TALKED
TO HIM A FEW DAYS AGO,
AND HE'S NOT GOING.
100%?
100%, YEAH.
[BLEEP]
LIKE, THERE'S NO WAY.
I THINK HE WAS VERY,
LIKE, EXCITED
TO BE MINING ON HIS OWN,
AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT
IT'S --
YOU KNOW, FOR HIM,
I COULD SEE HOW HE'S, LIKE --
MOVING ON
MIGHT BE PART OF IT.
LIKE, HIM AND I
HAVE NOT REALLY...
INTERACTED HARDLY AT ALL.
WE CAN'T DO THIS
WITH THREE PEOPLE, MAN.
IT'LL BE TOO HARD.
YEAH, I --
IT'D BE TOUGH.
LIKE, WE WERE
SHORT-HANDED LAST YEAR.
YEAH.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED
TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE.
SOME OF THE PLACES WE'LL BE
GOING, YOU KNOW, IT'S DANGEROUS.
YOU KNOW? THERE'S A LOT
OF VIOLENT CRIME.
THERE'S QUITE A LOT
OF TRIBAL WARFARE.
FOR MANY PAPUANS, GOLD MINING
IS ABOUT SURVIVAL.
NO GOLD MEANS NO FOOD,
SO LOCALS ARE KNOWN
TO PROTECT THEIR CLAIMS
WITH DEADLY FORCE.
I NEVER THINK BAD THINGS
ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
RIGHT.
[ CHUCKLES ]
AND MOST SHOOTS I DO WITH YOU,
SOMETHING DOES.
I MEAN, WHY DON'T YOU TRY
TO FIND SOMEBODY?
YEAH?
YEAH, YOU KNOW
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK JUST SOMEBODY
WITH SOME MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS
WOULD BE GOOD,
SOMEBODY THAT IS QUALIFIED
TO BE IN THOSE SITUATIONS
AND HAS BEEN
IN THOSE SITUATIONS BEFORE
WOULD BE [BLEEP]
GOOD TO HAVE.
SO THEY NEED TO BE
AN EXPERT MEDIC
AND PREFERABLY
WITH, LIKE,
COMBAT EXPERIENCE.
WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AROUND,
BUT IT'S A LOT OF BOXES TO TICK.
♪♪
UP AHEAD...
MAKE A CALL.
MAKE IT QUICK.
OH, MY [BLEEP]
...A SNEAK PEEK AT THE NEW
SEASON OF "PARKER'S TRAIL."
[ PEOPLE CLAMORING ]
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
[ ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
Fred: WATCH! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LOOK OUT! PARKER!
♪♪
OW, THAT HURTS.
OH, YEAH.
Narrator: THIS OFF-SEASON
ON "PARKER'S TRAIL"...
FOR US, MINING,
WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE,
IT COSTS US SOME MONEY.
WHEN YOU GO OUT
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
IN A COUNTRY
THAT HAS ZERO SUPPORT
AND YOU MAKE A MISTAKE,
LIKE, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.
-PARKER, BEHIND YOU, MAN!
-LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LIKE, YOU SCREW UP,
AND YOU'RE A DEAD MAN.
Fred: PARKER!
♪♪
Narrator: PARKER SCHNABEL
IS ON AN EPIC EXPEDITION
TO THE REMOTE SOUTH PACIFIC
WILDERNESS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
AND THERE'S TWO REAL REASONS
WE'RE GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
I MEAN, THE FIRST IS
THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF GOLD
AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF MINING
AND PROSPECTING HISTORY THERE,
AND THE SECOND BIG REASON IS
THAT MY GRANDPA WAS IN THE NAVY
AND STATIONED
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
VERY CLOSE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
AND IT'S THE PART OF HIS LIFE
THAT I DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT.
I'LL GO AND GET
THE MAN WITH THE TOOL BOX.
HE'S AWFUL IMPATIENT.
YOUNG PEOPLE THINK
THAT THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING
IN A BIG HURRY,
BUT YOU HAVE TO GET OLDER
TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE.
Parker:
MY GRANDPA WAS MY BIGGEST MENTOR
AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS.
John:
A FEW FLAKES IS ALL WE GOT.
I DOUBT
IF WE MADE A DOLLAR.
WELL, IF THERE'S
NOTHING IN THAT,
WE MIGHT AS WELL GO HOME.
IT'S A TEST.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
JUST KEEP WORKING
TOWARDS THE BETTER GROUND.
EVENTUALLY, YOU'LL HIT IT.
AND IT WAS TOUGH. IT WAS TOUGH
LOSING HIM. YOU KNOW?
LIKE, WE SAT AND TALKED
FOR HOURS AND HOURS
ALMOST EVERY NIGHT
ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT HE'D BEEN THROUGH
IN HIS LIFE.
YOUR FATHER SAID TO ME,
"DAD, LET ME MAKE
MY OWN MISTAKES,"
AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT
A LOT OF THE SAME BLOOD
IN YOU THAT HE HAS.
OH, AND I MAKE A LOT
OF MY OWN MISTAKES.
HE REALLY STARTED TO OPEN UP
ABOUT HIS PAST AND HIS HISTORY.
AND SOMETIMES WE'D COVER
A YEAR IN A NIGHT,
AND SOMETIMES
WE'D COVER A HALF A DAY,
YOU KNOW, JUST EVENTS
IN HIS LIFE THAT STUCK OUT.
[ LAUGHS ]
THE ONLY SPAN
THAT HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
WAS HIS TIME IN THE SOUTH
PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
HE JUST WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT.
John:
PEARL HARBOR WAS AN INCENTIVE
FOR ME TO JOIN THE NAVY.
I WENT TO THE RECRUITING STATION
AND SAID,
"I'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER
TO GO IN THE SUBMARINES."
FEW WEEKS,
THEY SENT ME TO BOOT CAMP,
AND THE FIRST THING I KNOW,
I'M IN THE NAVAL AIR CORP.
I WANTED IN THE WATER,
AND THEY PUT ME IN THE AIR.
TYPICAL.
[ CHUCKLES ]
♪♪
Narrator: THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
SAW SOME OF THE FIERCEST
AND BLOODIEST FIGHTING
OF WORLD WAR II.
OVER 100,000 U.S. SERVICEMEN
WERE EITHER KILLED
OR REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION.
♪♪
I KNOW IT WAS REALLY TOUGH
FOR HIM.
HE PULLED A LOT OF DEAD BODIES
AND DYING PEOPLE
OUT OF AIRPLANES.
I LOVE YOU.
I DON'T WANT YOU
TO HAVE TO WALK THROUGH
SOME OF THE MISERIES
THAT I'VE HAD TO WALK THROUGH.
I REALLY HOPE WE CAN
LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT
AND SEE THE PLACES THAT HE SAW
AND GET A FEEL
FOR WHAT THOSE GUYS WENT THROUGH
DURING WORLD WAR II
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
♪♪
Narrator:
TO START TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT HIS GRANDPA ENDURED,
PARKER VISITS HIS FATHER
IN HAINES, ALASKA.
A BIG PART OF
THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA TRIP
IS GOING TO BE ABOUT
MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
WITH THAT AREA,
SO I'M JUST HEADING HOME
TO SEE WHAT MY DAD KNOWS.
♪♪
Roger: OKAY. THIS IS
THE MINI SHOP HERE.
THIS IS YOUR GRANDPA'S CHEST
FROM HIS OFFICE.
CONSOLIDATED ALL THE THINGS
THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT.
ON HIS DEATH, THEY PASSED
A FLAG ONTO HIM.
FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION?RIGHT. YEAH.
OH, YEAH.
THESE ARE OLD.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THESE BEFORE.
UNBELIEVABLY OLD.
BOY, HE'S GOT
A LOT OF THINGS HERE.
MY FATHER, HE'D HAVE HAD A STORY
FOR EVERY PICTURE.
YOU KNOW?
YEAH.
LOOK AT THAT.
THERE YOU GO.
THERE'S DAD IN THE NAVY.
BOY.
"AFTER THE TEARS AND THE WRATH,
AFTER THE SORROW AND PAIN,
HIS MERCY HAS OPENED A PATH
TO LIVE WITH OURSELVES AGAIN."
♪♪
THAT'S JUST SUCH
A PERSONAL THING FOR HIM.
Parker: I MEAN, I'VE GOT
EVERY YEAR OF HIS LIFE
PRETTY WELL PEGGED EXCEPT
FOR THOSE THREE OR FOUR YEARS
THAT HE WAS
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
SO...
THOSE PHOTOS HE HAD
FROM WORLD WAR II,
HE NEVER TALKED
ABOUT THE PHOTOS.
SO IT'D BE GOOD TO FIND OUT
A LITTLE BIT MORE.
OH, LOOK, LOOK.
THIS IS THE ONE I REMEMBER,
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT?
YEAH.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLANE
THAT WOULD BE?
THAT'S AN AVENGER.
I'M SURE THAT'S ONE
THAT HE WORKED ON.
YOU KNOW?
ISN'T THAT COOL?
YEAH.
IF YOU REALLY WANT
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DAD
AND WHAT HE DID, YOU COULD
FIND OUT WHERE THESE PLANES --
THERE'S PROBABLY SOME
OF THESE RELICS AROUND.
YOU KNOW?LIKE, A RESTORED ONE?
YEAH. YOU SHOULD
DO JUST THAT.
YOU KNOW?
FIND ONE OF THOSE.
I'LL BET
IT WOULD MEAN A LOT.
♪♪
Parker: I'M LOOKING SPECIFICALLY
FOR THE AVENGER.
♪♪
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE ALMOST
10,000 OF THEM BUILT.
THERE'S NOT VERY MANY LEFT,
BUT THERE'S AN OUTFIT
THAT HAS ONE OF THEM,
AND THEY'RE CALLED
THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE.
SO, I MEAN, LOGICALLY, THIS
WOULD BE THE THING TO GO DO,
'CAUSE THEY HAVE
A FULLY INTACT AVENGER...
♪♪
...LOOKS LIKE IN COLORADO,
SO, I MEAN, WE SHOULD GO TO IT.
WE SHOULD GO LOOK AT IT.
♪♪
Narrator: PARKER MAY HAVE FOUND
AN AIR-WORTHY AVENGER,
BUT HIS EXPEDITION TEAM
IS STILL A MAN DOWN.
ADVENTURE CAMERAMAN SAM
MUST FIND A NEW RECRUIT.
Sam: SO, WE'VE COME
TO WASHINGTON STATE.
WE'RE GOING TO MEET A GUY
WHO I HOPE
WILL TAKE RICK'S PLACE
ON THE TEAM.
WE NEED SOMEONE
WHO'S AN EXPERT MEDIC,
AN EXPERT LINGUIST.
HE NEEDS TO BE INCREDIBLY GOOD
AT WORKING IN POTENTIALLY
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS.
I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO THIS GUY
CALLED FRED LEWIS,
WHO'S A FORMER GREEN BERET.
♪♪
FRED -- ON PAPER,
HE'S THE PERFECT FIT.
♪♪
[ DOORBELL RINGS ]
FRED?
WHAT'S UP?
HOW'S IT GOING?HEY, MAN. HOW YOU DOING? SAM.
NICE TO MEET YOU FINALLY.GOOD TO MEET YOU.
Narrator:
FORMER STAFF SERGEANT FRED LEWIS
HAS 14 YEARS' EXPERIENCE
AS A GREEN BERET
AND SPECIAL FORCES MEDIC.
HAVE A SEAT.Sam: OH, THANKS, MAN.
SO, HOW COME YOU'RE NOT
IN THE MILITARY ANYMORE?
I GOT INJURED IN 2009.
THE LAST MISSION WE WERE ON,
I ACTUALLY GOT SHOT BY A SNIPER
RIGHT IN THE TOP OF THE HELMET.
A MILLION-DOLLAR SHOT
WHERE IT DIDN'T KILL ME,
BUT IT JUST ENDED UP SNAPPING
ONE OF THE VERTEBRAE IN MY NECK.
SO AT THAT POINT
I WAS LIKE,
"A," I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
"B," I'M PROBABLY
RUNNING OUT OF LUCK,
AND IT'S JUST TIME
FOR ME TO HANG IT UP.
SINCE LEAVING THE MILITARY
IN 2009,
FRED'S TRAINED
AS AN ADVENTURE ATHLETE.
HE NOW COMPETES REGULARLY
IN EXTREME ENDURANCE RACES.
WE'VE GOT A BIG EXPEDITION
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE
WHO'S JUST GOING TO SLOT
SEAMLESSLY INTO THIS TEAM,
KEEP US ALL ALIVE, KEEP US SAFE.
THAT BASICALLY WAS WHAT I DID
IN THE MILITARY,
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE
RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.
I'VE GOT ALL MY MEDICAL GEAR
OUT THERE
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT.YEAH, LET'S DO IT.
LET'S DO IT.
Fred: LIKE, THIS IS LIKE
A LITTLE THROW BAG.
IT BASICALLY HAS EVERYTHING.
THIS HAS A SURGICAL SET
IF SOMEONE GETS REALLY HURT.
WHAT KIND OF INJURIES
HAVE YOU TREATED BEFORE?
ANYTHING FROM GUNSHOT WOUND
TO THE CHEST, BROKEN BONES,
AMPUTATIONS,
BLAST INJURIES, BURNS.
PARKER'S KIND OF
PERSONAL DISCIPLINE
WITH, LIKE, ANTIMALARIALS
AND HYGIENE AND THINGS
MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST.
[ SIGHS ]
WHY THE [BLEEP]
DID WE HIKE THAT?
Karla: PARKER, ESPECIALLY, GOT
SLAPPED AROUND BY THE JUNGLE.
OW!
SOMETHING BIT ME.
THE JUNGLE JUST KEEPS
JUST CHUCKING PUNCHES AT US.
Rick: PARKER'S NOT
IN GOOD SHAPE AT ALL.
Man:
ARE YOU HAVING STOMACH CRAMPS?
[ Weakly ]
YEAH, BAD.
REALLY [BLEEP] BAD.
I HATE PUKING MORE THAN
JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
UPSET STOMACH, DIARRHEA,
ALL THAT BULL
THAT I'M ALSO TRAINED
TO TREAT.
WHAT OTHER GOODIES
DO YOU HAVE?
SO, I'VE GOT
MY TRUSTY BROWN STAR,
A LITTLE DUSTY.
THIS ONE
MEANS A LOT TO ME.
GOT MY AIRBORNE WINGS,
SO THAT BASICALLY JUST SAYS,
"I JUMP OUT OF PLANES
AT 1,200 FEET,
AND THE PARACHUTE'S
PULLED FOR ME."
AIR ASSAULT,
HALO -- MY FAVORITE.
SO THAT'S HIGH ALTITUDE,
LOW OPENING.
THAT'S THE STUFF YOU SEE ON TV
WITH THE BIG OXYGEN MASKS
AND, YOU KNOW, SKY DIVERS.
♪♪
I LOVED IT.
THIS IS AN AWARD.
IT LOOKS LIKE A HAT,
BUT THE GREEN BERET
IS THE ONLY --
I THINK THERE'S TWO BERETS THAT
YOU ACTUALLY GET AWARDED TO YOU.
PROBABLY STILL FITS.
HAVEN'T WORN IT
IN A LONG TIME, BUT --
♪♪
OH, YEAH, STILL
A GREEN BERET.
I THINK THE BEARD ACTUALLY MAKES
IT LOOK A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
A LITTLE BIT OF DOG HAIR
ON THIS GREEN BERET.
WELL, YOU KNOW,
IT'S RETIRED.
RELAXED.
SHOULD I JUST WEAR THIS
ALL THE TIME?
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY.JUST EVERYWHERE WE GO?
YEAH.PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, "WHOA."
PARTICULARLY WITH THE BEARD,
IT'S A GREAT COMBINATION.
Sam: EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN
TODAY WITH FRED,
LIKE, HIS EXPERIENCE,
HIS ATTITUDE,
IF ANYONE'S GOING TO MAKE
PAPUA NEW GUINEA A SUCCESS
AND KEEP US ALIVE
AND BRING US HOME IN ONE PIECE,
I THINK IT'S FRED.
SO, YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED.
THE NEXT STEP, WE HAVE
TO INTRODUCE HIM TO PARKER.
HOPEFULLY, THEY DON'T
HATE EACH OTHER,
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A TEAM
AND GO TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
SO, WE JUST GOT HERE
THIS MORNING,
AND WE'RE GOING UP
IN THE AVENGER HERE SHORTLY.
Narrator:
PARKER IS AT THE COLORADO WING
OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE.
THEY HAVE A WORKING WAR PLANE
EXACTLY LIKE THE ONES
HIS GRANDPA MAINTAINED.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
PRETTY COLD.
THEY HAVE NO HEAT, SO WE'LL SEE
IF I DON'T FREEZE TO DEATH.
Narrator: THE TORPEDO BOMBER
WAS NAMED THE AVENGER
BECAUSE AMERICA WANTED REVENGE
FOR PEARL HARBOR.
A HANDFUL HAVE BEEN PRESERVED
BY AN ARMY
OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS.
I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT
ABOUT RESEARCHING
SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
AND TO FINALLY DO IT
AND FIND THIS PLACE,
AND I'M GOING TO GO FLY THAT.
♪♪
I HOPE WE DON'T CRASH.
[ CHUCKLES ]
♪♪
I'M PRETTY PUMPED.
Narrator:
PARKER'S TRAVELED TO COLORADO
TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE WAR PLANES
MAINTAINED BY HIS GRANDPA
OVER 75 YEARS AGO.
♪♪
WOW.
HOW ARE YOU?
Parker: GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING?
-GOOD, PARKER.
-PARKER, THIS IS DICK AND BYRON,
OUR MECHANICS.
NICE TO MEET YOU GUYS.
YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YOU.GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
THIS IS WILD.
IT'S SO COOL TO BE ABLE
TO SEE ONE.
IF YOU STICK YOUR HEAD
IN THERE --
CAN I GO IN THERE?SURE.
Narrator: THERE WERE THREE CREW
MEMBERS ONBOARD EACH AVENGER --
A PILOT, A RADIOMAN,
AND A REAR-TURRET GUNNER.
YEAH, I'VE NEVER BEEN SOMEBODY
THAT WOULD GET,
LIKE, CLAUSTROPHOBIC,
BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE,
LIKE, BEING IN A PLANE
THAT'S TAKING FIRE
AND BEING IN THIS BUBBLE.
Narrator: THE AVENGER ALSO HAD
TWO .50-CALIBER MACHINE GUNS
IN THE WINGS.
IT CARRIED 750 ROUNDS.
HAVE YOU HEARD THE SAYING,
"GIVE THEM
THE WHOLE 9 YARDS"?
YEAH.
IF YOU MEASURE 750 ROUNDS,
IT'S 9 YARDS LONG.REALLY?
THAT'S WHERE
THE SAYING CAME FROM.
I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS
SOME SPORTS TERM OR SOMETHING.
NO, SIR. IT'S WORLD WAR II.SO WHEN THEY SAY,
"GIVE THEM THE WHOLE 9 YARDS,"
THAT'S FEED THEM
THE WHOLE BELT OF AMMO.
YEP.
THAT IS SO COOL.
MM-HMM.
Narrator:
THE AVENGER WAS VERSATILE.
IT COULD OPERATE ON LAND
AND AT SEA.
♪♪
ITS STOW WING FOLDING MECHANISM
CUT THE AIRCRAFT'S SPAN
FROM 52 TO 19 FEET,
ALLOWING 50% MORE PLANES TO FIT
ONBOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIERS.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S DO THIS.
♪♪
Narrator:
FOR PARKER TO PRIME
THE AVENGER'S
1,900-HORSEPOWER ENGINE
FOR START-UP,
THE 13-FOOT PROPELLER
MUST BE TURNED NINE TIMES.
IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT.
SIX.
AS A NAVY MECHANIC,
THIS WAS ONE OF PARKER'S
GRANDPA'S JOBS.
♪♪
Parker: MY GRANDPA WAS DOING
THIS EXACT THING
AT THE SAME EXACT AGE
ON THE SAME EXACT PLANES.
♪♪
SO COOL.
♪♪
LOOK AT THAT THING.
ISN'T THAT BADASS?
PARKER?
YEAH.
READY TO GO
FLY THE AVENGER?
ARE YOU OUR PILOT?I'M CHRIS RYAN. I'M YOUR PILOT.
ALL RIGHT, CHRIS.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
HE'S YOUR DRIVER.SWEET.
HAVE YOU FLOWN THIS THING
MUCH BEFORE?
I HAVE.ALL RIGHT, GOOD.
ONCE. ONCE.ONCE? [ LAUGHS ]
[ ENGINE STARTS ]
OKAY.
♪♪
♪♪
THERE WE GO!
♪♪
LET'S DO THIS.
♪♪
[ CHUCKLES]
♪♪
OH, YEAH.
THAT IS SO COOL. LANDING GEAR COMING UP.
OH, MAN.
THIS IS AWESOME.
I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING THAT OFF
AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THOUGH,
IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR ZONE,
LOCKED AND LOADED.
YEAH.
♪♪
Narrator: AVENGER SQUADRONS
SANK MILLIONS OF TONS' WORTH
OF ENEMY SHIPS AND SUBMARINES,
HELPING AMERICA TURN THE TIDE
IN THE PACIFIC WAR
AGAINST JAPAN.
♪♪
OH, MAN.
I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING CHASED
BY A BUNCH OF JAPANESE FIGHTERS
IN THIS THING.
YEAH, IT WOULDN'T BE
A GOOD AFTERNOON.
Parker: WITH THE HISTORY THAT MY
GRANDPA HAD WITH THIS PLANE
AND WHERE WE'RE GOING IN PAPUA
NEW GUINEA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
IT'S ALWAYS BUGGED ME
THAT HE WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT,
BUT SAT IN THAT COCKPIT.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY PLANES
WOULD HAVE COME BACK
WITH SOMEBODY'S BRAINS AND BLOOD
ALL OVER THE INSIDE
OF THAT PLANE?
AND MECHANIC'S RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE PLANE.
HE'D BE CLEANING UP
WHATEVER HAPPENED
WITH THAT THING.
MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE
ABOUT WHY MY GRANDPA
DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I WOULDN'T TALK
ABOUT IT, EITHER.
YOU WANT TO TAKE IT
ON A BOMBING RUN?
OH, YEAH.
THAT'D BE GREAT.
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. WE'RE
GOING TO PUSH THE NOSE OVER.
PICK UP THE BOMB DOORS.
HERE WE GO.
THREE, TWO, ONE.
♪♪
BOMBS AWAY.
YOU CAN FEEL THE WIND?
OH, YEAH. OH, WOW.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
TERRIFYING. OHH.
THE TERRIFYING PART'S
ALL THE FLAK
THAT'D BE COMING UP AT YOU. RIGHT.
MAN, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TELL
SAM AND KARLA ABOUT THIS,
'CAUSE THEY'LL JUST BE
TOO JEALOUS.
[ CHUCKLES] ALL RIGHT.
LANDING GEAR'S COMING DOWN.
HERE COMES THE CLUNK.
THE OTHER ONE.
KIND OF NERVE-RACKING THING
ABOUT THESE
IS THEY COME OUT
OF THE SKY REALLY WELL.
YOU GET A LITTLE REMINDER
OF THAT EVERY TIME YOU LAND.
YOU PULL THE POWER BACK, AND
THE THING JUST WANTS TO DROP.
♪♪
[ TIRES SCREECH ]
♪♪
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]
[ Chuckling ] DUDE!
GLAD YOU HAD FUN.
IT'S -- YEAH.
THANK YOU GUYS.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
YES.YEAH, UNBELIEVABLE.
WHAT A RUSH THAT IS.YOU'RE WELCOME.
Parker: I REALLY DON'T KNOW
WHAT MY GRANDPA
WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
OF THIS WHOLE THING.
LIKE, IF HE WERE ALIVE
RIGHT NOW
AND I WENT HOME
AND TOLD HIM ABOUT ALL THIS...
♪♪
...[BLEEP] I WONDER --
I WONDER WHAT HE'D SAY.
PART OF ME'S KIND OF GLAD
THAT I CAN'T DO THAT.
I'M SURE THERE'S A REASON
HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME,
THIS IS A VERY COOL,
FUN EXPERIENCE.
FOR HIM, IT WASN'T.
AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE,
IT WASN'T.
AND FOR A LOT PEOPLE, THEIR LAST
EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIFE
WAS HAD IN ONE OF THESE PLANES.
♪♪
Narrator: UP AHEAD...
I'LL BE HONEST.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
...A MAJOR DECISION
FOR THE ENTIRE EXPEDITION.
Parker: HAVE A SEAT.
WILL FRED BE JOINING THE TEAM?
YOU MIGHT PULL YOUR HAIR OUT
DEALING WITH US.
LIKE, THAT'S
MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
♪♪
Narrator:
THERE'S A POTENTIAL NEW RECRUIT
FOR PARKER'S EXPEDITION
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
FRED IS A GREEN BERET MEDIC
WITH 14 YEARS'
MILITARY EXPERIENCE,
INCLUDING COMBAT TOURS
OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
HE'S TRAVELED 2,000 MILES
FROM WASHINGTON STATE
FOR A MAKE-OR-BREAK MEETING.
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YUKON,
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,
LOOKING FOR PARKER SCHNABEL.
I'M GOING TO GO UP AND TALK
TO HIM ABOUT JOINING THE TEAM.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK
I'VE BEEN TRAINED FOR,
AND I'M SUPER MOTIVATED TO BE
PART OF A TEAM AGAIN.
I'LL BE HONEST.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
I'VE NEVER MET PARKER BEFORE,
AND I KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT GOLD MINING,
AND I HOPE THAT
THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
♪♪
[ DOG BARKS ]Parker: DOZER, CALM DOWN.
COME ON IN.NICE TO MEET YOU.
IN THE MIDDLE
OF [BLEEP] NOWHERE.
HAVE A SEAT.
SO, HOW ARE YOU DOING?Fred: I'M DOING GREAT.
HOW WAS YOUR TRIP UP?
LONG, BUT IT WAS
ACTUALLY REALLY NICE.
I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS PART
OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE.
IT'S FREAKING AWESOME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE
ALWAYS KEPT SAM AND I CLOSE
IS WE HAVE
A FAIRLY SIMILAR
LACK OF SENSE
OF SELF-PRESERVATION,
I THINK IS PROBABLY
THE BEST WAY OF PUTTING IT.
SO YOU MIGHT PULL YOUR HAIR OUT
DEALING WITH US.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
I'M NOT YOUR TYPICAL MEDIC,
SO I DON'T BELIEVE
IN NOT TAKING RISKS AT ALL.RIGHT.
I BELIEVE IN FIGURING OUT
HOW TO MAKE THAT RISK
SO WE DON'T DIE.
AND I'M AN ADVENTURE ATHLETE.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND DO THINGS
THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO
AND HAVE FUN DOING THEM.RIGHT.
SO THIS IS PERFECT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S GOOD.
AND YOU WANT TO DO IT?
OH, HELL YEAH, 100%.
TO ME, ATTITUDE OUTWEIGHS
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING,
SO WE'LL LEAVE THE
"GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER"
FOR PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
BUT ARE YOU DOWN?
YEAH, TOTALLY DOWN,
AND WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME
TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
THANKS, MAN.
Man: HOW'D THAT GO, MATE?IT WENT AWESOME.
I REALLY LIKE PARKER. PARKER
SEEMS LIKE A REALLY NICE GUY.
AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
HERE WE COME.
LET'S DO IT.
OH, YEAH.
WE FOUND OUR MAN.
FRED'S A RAD DUDE, AND HE'S GOT
QUITE THE BACKGROUND
WITH EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: WITH FRED ON BOARD,
THE TRAIL TEAM IS COMPLETE
AND READY TO ASSEMBLE.
♪♪
-YO, YO!
-HEY, MAN!
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
GOOD.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU, TOO.
-HEY, FRED.
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
-PRETTY GOOD.
OKAY, SO, I JUST MET FRED,
AND I'VE ONLY KNOWN HIM
FOR 20 MINUTES,
AND HE'S MY NEW BEST FRIEND.
[ LAUGHS ] HE IS.
WE GET ALONG SO GOOD.
OKAY, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND.
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR
FINAL SEASON GOLD POURING.
Sam: TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME
THE FOUR OF US GOT TOGETHER,
AND THERE'S JUST
A REALLY GOOD BUZZ
IN THE GROUP,
REALLY GOOD ENERGY.
Parker:
SHOULD I BRING ONE TO PNG
SO THAT WHEN YOU END UP IN JAIL,
I CAN BAIL YOU OUT, SAM?
YEAH, TAPE A COUPLE
TO YOUR THIGH, DEFINITELY.
-[ CHUCKLES ]
-LET'S LEAVE HIM IN JAIL.
GOING INTO PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
I THINK IT'S JUST
AN AMAZING ADVENTURE.
IT'S LIKE BUCKET-LIST MATERIAL.
♪♪
WELCOME, FRED.
Karla:
THANKS, FRED, FOR JOINING.
YES, THANK YOU
FOR WELCOMING ME.
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
-PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
-PNG.
I'M EXCITED. THIS IS GOING TO BE
A PRETTY RAW EXPERIENCE,
PRETTY INTENSE.
REALLY HAPPY THAT FREDDY
IS ON BOARD,
AND WHATEVER WE GET
OUT OF THE TRIP,
IT'S GOING TO BE LIFE-CHANGING.
♪♪
THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE
THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.
PARKER'S IN. I THINK IT'S JUST
WHAT HE'S GOING TO NEED.
KARLA'S ALWAYS 100%,
AND I THINK IF ANYONE'S
GOING TO KEEP US ALIVE
IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
FRED'S THE MAN.
Parker: LIKE, I'M ONLY 24,
BUT, YOU KNOW,
I'VE DONE A LOT IN MY LIFE.
BUT GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA
AND PULLING THIS OFF
AND FINDING SOME GOLD
AND RECONNECTING
WITH MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
WOULD, BY FAR, BE
THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE,
BAR NONE.
♪♪
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A BAR
WITH TWO MACHINE GUNS, A BOMB.
Narrator: UP AHEAD...WHERE THE [BLEEP] ARE WE?
...THE TEAM ARRIVES
IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
READY FOR THE ADVENTURE
OF A LIFETIME.
WE'RE NOW IN
A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS
AND MUCH MORE REMOTE COUNTRY.
GUYANA WAS HARD.
THIS IS NEXT-LEVEL.
Narrator:
THIS OFF-SEASON, PARKER'S GOING
TO THE VOLCANIC HIGHLANDS
OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
TO EXPLORE PORGERA,
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
GOLD MINES IN THE WORLD.
Parker: LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S CRAZY.
FIVE OF THE BIGGEST GOLD MINES
I'VE EVER SEEN
WOULD FIT IN THIS GOLD MINE.
THIS MINE HAS PRODUCED ALMOST
20 MILLION OUNCES OF GOLD.
LIKE, THAT'S $25 BILLION
WORTH OF GOLD.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: FROM THE KLONDIKE,
IT'S 11,500 MILES,
24 HOURS, AND 5 PLANES
TO RABAUL IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
ULTIMATELY, THIS IS A TRIP
ABOUT GOLD AND LOOKING FOR GOLD.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT
THIS PART OF THE WORLD, THOUGH,
IS MY GRANDPA SPENT
4 YEARS HERE IN WORLD WAR II.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN 75 YEARS
SINCE HE FOUGHT HERE,
SO IF I CAN COME OVER HERE
AND PICK UP A FEW OF THE PIECES
THAT HE NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT
AND FILL IN, YOU KNOW, THAT PART
OF THE PUZZLE OF HIS LIFE
THAT I NEVER SAW,
THEN THAT'LL BE A HUGE SUCCESS
FOR ME, AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING
TO START THE TRIP WITH THAT.
♪♪
Sam: DUDE. HEY!
Karla: HEY, MAN!
WHAT'S UP?HOW ARE YOU, MAN?
GOOD SEEING YOU.GOOD. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
OH, LOOK AT YOU GUYS.
SO GOOD.
-PARKER.
-FRED!
WE'RE IN "STAR WARS."
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A BAR
WITH TWO .50-CAL
MACHINE GUNS, A BOMB...
A TORPEDO.
...A TORPEDO,
AND WHAT IS THAT?
ANOTHER MACHINE GUN.YEAH.
IT'S LIKE, WHERE
THE [BLEEP] ARE WE?
-HI, OS.
-HEY.
-HI, OS.
-HOW'S IT GOING, BRO?
Narrator: ADVISING THE TEAM,
EMERGENCY RESCUE EXPERT
DAVID "OS" OSBORNE,
WHO LED THEIR EVACUATION
FROM GUYANA LAST SEASON.
Os:
HOW'S IT GOING? GOOD.
GUYANA WAS VERY, VERY TOUGH.
WE HAD RIOTS
AND A CIVIL UPRISING.
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]
Parker:
WHAT THE [BLEEP] IS GOING ON?
I NEED YOU TO KEEP
YOUR HEADS DOWN,
JUST KEEP
A STEADY PACE THROUGH.
ALL RIGHT?
[ MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
-STAY IN OUR TRUCKS.
-WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP
PARKER AND HIS TEAM SAFE.
[ MEN SHOUTING ]LET'S GO. LET'S GO. LET'S GO.
♪♪
ALL RIGHT, GUYS.
GOOD JOB.
WE'RE NOW SAFE.
THIS YEAR, THE GUYS,
THEY'RE TRAVELING
MUCH, MUCH FURTHER
THAN THEY'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
THEY'RE IN MUCH MORE
REMOTE LOCATIONS
IN A VERY SOMETIMES
VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT.
-COMFORTABLE?
-NOPE.
AND THEY'RE ATTEMPTING,
ULTIMATELY,
TO DO MUCH MORE GENUINELY
DANGEROUS MINING.
I'M WORRIED, FRANKLY,
FOR THEIR SAFETY,
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THEY ALL GET THROUGH IT.
THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU GUYS,
WE WERE GETTING OUT OF GUYANA,
AND THAT WAS BRUTAL.
LET'S BE HONEST.
WE ARE NOW IN, ARGUABLY,
A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS
AND MUCH MORE REMOTE COUNTRY.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Karla: LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
-YEAH.
-ARE YOU OKAY?
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH
EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF THE MYRIAD RISKS,
SO YOU GUYS HAVE
TO WORK AS A TEAM.
IT'S GOING TO FLASH FLOOD
IN 2 MINUTES.
MAKE A CALL.
MAKE IT QUICK.
OH, MY [BLEEP]
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE
GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.
AND JUST KNOW, WE ARE GOING
TO BE FOLLOWING YOU
EVERY INCH OF THE WAY,
BUT IT'S AT A DISTANCE.
THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY.
THIS IS YOUR ADVENTURE.
I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE
TO COME IN THERE,
BECAUSE IF I COME IN THERE,
THEN SOMETHING'S GONE
SERIOUSLY [BLEEP] WRONG.
[ Whispering ] It's definitely
not a good situation.
SO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
GUYANA WAS HARD.
THIS IS NEXT-LEVEL.
ALL RIGHT? GOOD LUCK.
Karla:
I WANT TO WORK AS A TEAM,
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE
ON ALL THE STRESS
OF BEING IN THE FRONT
LOOKING FOR SNAKES, YOU KNOW?
IT'S, LIKE, NICE TO ROTATE THAT.
THIS IS POTENTIALLY
THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.
LIKE, THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE
IN THE WORLD,
THAT I'M AWARE OF,
THAT'S LIKE PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
I'M READY FOR THIS, SO BRING IT.
IT'S A GOOD KIND OF EXCITED
RIGHT NOW.
WHEN YOUR FEET ARE [BLEEP]
AND YOU'VE BEEN TREKKING
FOR A MONTH STRAIGHT...
Sam:
GUYS, WE NEED TO STOP FOR A SEC.
MY FEET ARE IN PIECES.
THAT WAS NASTY.
...THAT'S WHEN
DEPRESSED PARKER COMES,
OR WORSE, MAD PARKER.
YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE
I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
IT'S THE MAD PARKER THAT
I'M REALLY NOT PREPARED FOR,
BUT I LIKE
THE UNKNOWN, SO...
[ LAUGHS ]
Narrator: UP AHEAD...
Parker: WE'RE DEFINITELY
IN GOLD COUNTRY NOW.
Narrator: ...ON A WHOLE NEW
SEASON OF "PARKER'S TRAIL"...
-YES!
-WHAT?
YEAH, BUDDY.
...PARKER DIVES DEEP TO HONOR
HIS GRANDPA'S MEMORY.
WAR IS [BLEEP] BRUTAL.
I CAN'T IMAGINE GOING
THROUGH THAT AT MY AGE.
Narrator:
THEY CLIMB VOLCANOES...
YOU'VE GOT A PULSE OF ABOUT 160,
SO DEEP BREATHS.
♪♪
...SURVIVE THE JUNGLE...
Fred:
OH, YEAH! IT'S A TUNNEL.
THINK WE MIGHT BE
A LITTLE BIT LOST.
AAH!
Narrator:
...AND FACE TRIBAL WARRIORS.
Woman: GO. GO, GO, GO!
-GO, GO!
-GO, GO, GO!
Parker:
ROLL YOUR WINDOWS UP.
Fred:
LOCK DOORS. LOCK YOUR DOORS.
-GO, GO, GO.
-GO.
I'VE BEEN IN
ENVIRONMENTS LIKE THAT
WHERE [BLEEP] GETS OUT
OF HAND SUPER FAST.
Narrator: ...RISKING IT ALL
TO LEARN HOW THE LOCALS MINE...
IN THIS PLACE,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A POLICE ESCORT.
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
OH![ CROWD CLAMORING INDISTINCTLY ]
Sam: HE WAS ON THE MINE,
AND HE GOT SHOT?
Man: YEAH.
IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN A WAR ZONE.
Narrator: ...CHASING
A 21st-CENTURY GOLD RUSH.
Karla:
WATER! FRED, GET OUT!
YOU GET LIKE A 1-SECOND WARNING,
THEN "BOOM."
IF I RAN AN OPERATION LIKE THIS,
I WOULD BE IN JAIL.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Fred: PARKER!
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
RIGHT NOW, I JUST WANT TO GO
ON A BIG, EPIC ADVENTURE.
I NEED TO GO SOMEPLACE WILD
AND GO SOMEPLACE DANGEROUS
AND GO, YOU KNOW, EXPLORE THE
PLACES THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T.
♪♪
PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
THERE'S TWO REASONS
WE'RE GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
THE FIRST IS TO REALLY RECONNECT
WITH MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
FROM WORLD WAR II.
John:
PEARL HARBOR WAS AN INCENTIVE
FOR ME TO JOIN THE NAVY.
IT WAS A PRETTY BRUTAL
EXPERIENCE FOR HIM
THAT HE DID NOT LIKE
TO TALK ABOUT.
I DON'T WANT YOU
TO HAVE TO WALK THROUGH
SOME OF THE MISERIES
THAT I'VE HAD TO WALK THROUGH.
♪♪
THIS IS AWESOME.
THE PIECES THAT WE
PUT TOGETHER HERE
ARE ALL THE ANSWERS
I'LL EVER BE ABLE TO GET.
[ SNIFFLES ]
SECOND BIG REASON FOR AN
ADVENTURE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA...
WE'RE GOING TO SHAKE ONE DOWN
RIGHT HERE, FRED.
...IS THERE'S A HUGE
AMOUNT OF GOLD.
OH, LOOKS LIKE
WE GOT SOMETHING. SEE?
WE'RE LESS THAN A MILE AWAY
FROM A PLACE WHERE MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF OUNCES
OF GOLD HAVE BEEN FOUND,
BUT IT'S ONE
OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES
IN THE WORLD.
IN THIS PLACE, YOU HAVE
TO HAVE A POLICE ESCORT.
Man: [BLEEP]
[ SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
OH [BLEEP]
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
[BLEEP] [BLEEP]
-GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!
-GO, GO, GO, GO.
Parker:
IT'S WILDER THAN THE WILD WEST.
YOU SCREW UP,
AND YOU'RE A DEAD MAN.
Fred: PARKER!
♪♪
DON'T FALL OFF
THIS [BLEEP] THING!
[ SIGHS ]
IT'S BEEN A LONG [BLEEP] YEAR.
EVERYTHING'S COMPLETELY FROZEN.
HEY, SHUT HIM DOWN!
HOLY [BLEEP]
THAT IS NOT GOOD.
LIKE, WE'VE JUST HAD
EVERYTHING HAPPEN.
WE'VE HAD MASSIVE AMOUNTS
OF BREAKDOWNS...
YOU'VE GOT TO BE
KIDDING ME!
MITCH, THIS [BLEEP]
THING'S ON FIRE.
...MASSIVE AMOUNTS
OF ISSUES WITH TONY.
YOU WANT 100 OUNCES
LIKE NOW?
LIKE, A CHRONIC DISEASE,
I CAN'T SHAKE THIS [BLEEP] GUY.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE,
WE'VE HAD,
LIKE, MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF GOLD.
LIKE, IT'S THE BEST SEASON
WE'VE EVER HAD.
OUR SEASON TOTAL,
7,427 POINT --
-[ LAUGHS ]
-WHAT?
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT I THINK THIS YEAR,
MORE SO THAN ANY,
I'VE HAD A ROUGH TIME,
PERSONALLY,
BECAUSE OF, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, ASHLEY AND I
HAVE BROKEN UP.
SHE WAS THE FIRST,
YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM,
REAL GIRLFRIEND I'VE HAD.
AND RICK NESS,
OUR FOREMAN, LEFT.
YEAH, I'M GOING OUT
MINING ON MY OWN.
GEEZ.
THAT WAS THE DOUBLE WHAMMY,
AND THAT ALL CAME OFF THE BACK
OF MY GRANDFATHER DYING,
SO, LIKE, IT'S A LOT OF STUFF
HITTING AT ONCE.
[ GUNSHOTS ]
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SOUL
SEARCHING FOR ME THIS YEAR,
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT,
LIKE, GUYANA SHOWED ME LAST YEAR
IS THAT I KIND OF WANT
TO JUST SPEND SOME TIME
WORRYING ABOUT SURVIVING
AND JUST WORRYING ABOUT TOMORROW
AND NOT WHAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH
OR A YEAR AGO OR WHATEVER.
♪♪
UNBELIEVABLE!
Narrator: LAST OFF-SEASON,
PARKER HEADED TO SOUTH AMERICA
TO PROSPECT FOR GOLD IN THE
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS OF GUYANA.
MOVING DIRT, HUH, RICK?
MOVING DIRT!
[BLEEP] GUYANA WAS RAD.
I LOVED GUYANA.
LET'S GO FIND
THE [BLEEP] GOLD.
SUPER IN, MAN.
IT REALLY OPENED MY EYES
TO THE WORLD.
LIKE, IT WAS MY FIRST TIME
IN A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
THAT WE WERE OUT SOMEPLACE
WHERE YOU'RE TAKING
VERY SERIOUS RISKS.
WE'VE JUST GOT TO DO IT.
ONE, TWO, THREE!
-PULL!
-AAH!
-AAH!
-PARKER!
♪♪
Narrator: JOINING PARKER
ON LAST YEAR'S EXPEDITION,
EX-FOREMAN RICK NESS...
NOT TODAY, FISH.
I'M EATING YOU.
Narrator: ...WILDERNESS EXPERT
KARLA ANN...
STOP, STOP, RICK.
STOP!
THIS JUNGLE WILL EAT YOU UP
IN A SECOND
IF YOU DON'T RESPECT IT.
Narrator: ...AND ADVENTURE
CAMERAMAN SAM BROWN.
Parker:
WHOA. QUICKSAND.
-WHOA.
-WOW.
OH.
♪♪
I JUST NEED A RESET.
LIKE, I NEED A BIG ADVENTURE
WITH SOME GOOD FRIENDS AND...
AND JUST...GO.
♪♪
Narrator:
PARKER IS HOPING TO RETRACE
HIS GRANDFATHER'S WARTIME
JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC
AND TO LEARN
HOW THE PAPUANS MINE GOLD.
HE'S ASKED FRIEND
AND CAMERAMAN SAM BROWN
TO SCOUT OUT PAPUA NEW GUINEA
AND FIND A GOLD TRAIL.
YEAH, I'M JUST COMING DOWN HERE
TO PICK UP SAM.
HE JUST GOT BACK
FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.
GOOD TO SEE
HE'S STILL ALIVE, ANYWAY.
♪♪
-[ LAUGHS ]
-HEY!
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN.
-GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
-AH. HOW YOU KEEPING?
Parker:
YEAH, GOOD. HOP IN.
YOU'RE STUCK WITH THE DOG.[ LAUGHS ]
HOW'S IT GOING, MAN?I'M GOOD, MAN. I'M GOOD.
SO, HOW'S THINGS?
THE HISTORY, THE PEOPLE,
THERE'S SO MUCH GOLD THERE.
THERE'S GUYS OUT THERE
WITH NOTHING BUT A GOLD PAN,
YOU KNOW,
KIND OF PICKING NUGGETS,
LIKE, LITERALLY OUT OF THE CREEK
OR FROM UNDER BOULDERS,
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME
OF THE BIGGEST GOLD MINES
IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: EVERY YEAR,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRODUCES
$2.6 BILLION WORTH OF GOLD.
♪♪
THIS REMOTE ISLAND NATION
IS LOCATED IN A REGION
KNOWN AS "THE RING OF FIRE,"
AND HAS MORE THAN 60 VOLCANOES,
THE MOST
IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC.
WHEN TECTONIC PLATES COVERING
THE EARTH'S SURFACE COLLIDE,
EARTHQUAKES FORCE
MINERAL-RICH MAGMA
UP THROUGH THE EARTH'S CRUST.
THE LAVA CRYSTALLIZES,
BECOMING A SILICA-RICH FLUID
THAT PUSHES THROUGH CRACKS
AND FORMS QUARTZ VEINS.
IT'S INSIDE THESE VEINS
WHERE GOLD IS DEPOSITED
AND WHY PAPUA NEW GUINEA
IS ONE OF THE MOST
GOLD-RICH PLACES ON THE PLANET.
♪♪
PAPUA NEW GUINEA IS NUTS.
[ CHUCKLES ]
SO MANY WAYS WE CAN
KILL OURSELVES OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, ALL THE SNAKES,
ALL THE SPIDERS,
ALL THE NASTY DISEASES ARE
POTENTIALLY GENUINELY DANGEROUS.
♪♪
ITS VENOMOUS SNAKES
AND GIANT, FAST-MOVING SPIDERS
ARE AMONG THE DEADLIEST
IN THE WORLD.
♪♪
TRIBAL DISPUTES
OFTEN TURN VIOLENT,
AND FREQUENT MONSOONS, TSUNAMIS,
AND EARTHQUAKES
CLAIM MANY LIVES.
♪♪
IT'S GOING TO BE SO MUCH HARDER
THAN LAST YEAR.
LIKE, THE FITNESS LEVELS
WE'LL NEED -- LIKE,
YOU KNOW MOST OF THE JUNGLE
WE WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR
WAS PRETTY FLAT?
-YEAH.
LIKE, THIS IS MOUNTAINS,
VALLEYS, MOUNTAINS,
VALLEYS, LIKE, CLIFFS.
RICK'S GOING TO STRUGGLE.
YOU THINK RICK'S UP FOR THIS?
[BLEEP] MAN, I WENT AND TALKED
TO HIM A FEW DAYS AGO,
AND HE'S NOT GOING.
100%?
100%, YEAH.
[BLEEP]
LIKE, THERE'S NO WAY.
I THINK HE WAS VERY,
LIKE, EXCITED
TO BE MINING ON HIS OWN,
AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT
IT'S --
YOU KNOW, FOR HIM,
I COULD SEE HOW HE'S, LIKE --
MOVING ON
MIGHT BE PART OF IT.
LIKE, HIM AND I
HAVE NOT REALLY...
INTERACTED HARDLY AT ALL.
WE CAN'T DO THIS
WITH THREE PEOPLE, MAN.
IT'LL BE TOO HARD.
YEAH, I --
IT'D BE TOUGH.
LIKE, WE WERE
SHORT-HANDED LAST YEAR.
YEAH.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED
TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE.
SOME OF THE PLACES WE'LL BE
GOING, YOU KNOW, IT'S DANGEROUS.
YOU KNOW? THERE'S A LOT
OF VIOLENT CRIME.
THERE'S QUITE A LOT
OF TRIBAL WARFARE.
FOR MANY PAPUANS, GOLD MINING
IS ABOUT SURVIVAL.
NO GOLD MEANS NO FOOD,
SO LOCALS ARE KNOWN
TO PROTECT THEIR CLAIMS
WITH DEADLY FORCE.
I NEVER THINK BAD THINGS
ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
RIGHT.
[ CHUCKLES ]
AND MOST SHOOTS I DO WITH YOU,
SOMETHING DOES.
I MEAN, WHY DON'T YOU TRY
TO FIND SOMEBODY?
YEAH?
YEAH, YOU KNOW
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK JUST SOMEBODY
WITH SOME MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS
WOULD BE GOOD,
SOMEBODY THAT IS QUALIFIED
TO BE IN THOSE SITUATIONS
AND HAS BEEN
IN THOSE SITUATIONS BEFORE
WOULD BE [BLEEP]
GOOD TO HAVE.
SO THEY NEED TO BE
AN EXPERT MEDIC
AND PREFERABLY
WITH, LIKE,
COMBAT EXPERIENCE.
WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AROUND,
BUT IT'S A LOT OF BOXES TO TICK.
♪♪
UP AHEAD...
MAKE A CALL.
MAKE IT QUICK.
OH, MY [BLEEP]
...A SNEAK PEEK AT THE NEW
SEASON OF "PARKER'S TRAIL."
[ PEOPLE CLAMORING ]
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
[ ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
Fred: WATCH! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LOOK OUT! PARKER!
♪♪
OW, THAT HURTS.
OH, YEAH.
Narrator: THIS OFF-SEASON
ON "PARKER'S TRAIL"...
FOR US, MINING,
WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE,
IT COSTS US SOME MONEY.
WHEN YOU GO OUT
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
IN A COUNTRY
THAT HAS ZERO SUPPORT
AND YOU MAKE A MISTAKE,
LIKE, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.
-PARKER, BEHIND YOU, MAN!
-LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LIKE, YOU SCREW UP,
AND YOU'RE A DEAD MAN.
Fred: PARKER!
♪♪
Narrator: PARKER SCHNABEL
IS ON AN EPIC EXPEDITION
TO THE REMOTE SOUTH PACIFIC
WILDERNESS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
AND THERE'S TWO REAL REASONS
WE'RE GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
I MEAN, THE FIRST IS
THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF GOLD
AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF MINING
AND PROSPECTING HISTORY THERE,
AND THE SECOND BIG REASON IS
THAT MY GRANDPA WAS IN THE NAVY
AND STATIONED
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
VERY CLOSE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
AND IT'S THE PART OF HIS LIFE
THAT I DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT.
I'LL GO AND GET
THE MAN WITH THE TOOL BOX.
HE'S AWFUL IMPATIENT.
YOUNG PEOPLE THINK
THAT THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING
IN A BIG HURRY,
BUT YOU HAVE TO GET OLDER
TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE.
Parker:
MY GRANDPA WAS MY BIGGEST MENTOR
AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS.
John:
A FEW FLAKES IS ALL WE GOT.
I DOUBT
IF WE MADE A DOLLAR.
WELL, IF THERE'S
NOTHING IN THAT,
WE MIGHT AS WELL GO HOME.
IT'S A TEST.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
JUST KEEP WORKING
TOWARDS THE BETTER GROUND.
EVENTUALLY, YOU'LL HIT IT.
AND IT WAS TOUGH. IT WAS TOUGH
LOSING HIM. YOU KNOW?
LIKE, WE SAT AND TALKED
FOR HOURS AND HOURS
ALMOST EVERY NIGHT
ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT HE'D BEEN THROUGH
IN HIS LIFE.
YOUR FATHER SAID TO ME,
"DAD, LET ME MAKE
MY OWN MISTAKES,"
AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT
A LOT OF THE SAME BLOOD
IN YOU THAT HE HAS.
OH, AND I MAKE A LOT
OF MY OWN MISTAKES.
HE REALLY STARTED TO OPEN UP
ABOUT HIS PAST AND HIS HISTORY.
AND SOMETIMES WE'D COVER
A YEAR IN A NIGHT,
AND SOMETIMES
WE'D COVER A HALF A DAY,
YOU KNOW, JUST EVENTS
IN HIS LIFE THAT STUCK OUT.
[ LAUGHS ]
THE ONLY SPAN
THAT HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
WAS HIS TIME IN THE SOUTH
PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
HE JUST WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT.
John:
PEARL HARBOR WAS AN INCENTIVE
FOR ME TO JOIN THE NAVY.
I WENT TO THE RECRUITING STATION
AND SAID,
"I'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER
TO GO IN THE SUBMARINES."
FEW WEEKS,
THEY SENT ME TO BOOT CAMP,
AND THE FIRST THING I KNOW,
I'M IN THE NAVAL AIR CORP.
I WANTED IN THE WATER,
AND THEY PUT ME IN THE AIR.
TYPICAL.
[ CHUCKLES ]
♪♪
Narrator: THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
SAW SOME OF THE FIERCEST
AND BLOODIEST FIGHTING
OF WORLD WAR II.
OVER 100,000 U.S. SERVICEMEN
WERE EITHER KILLED
OR REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION.
♪♪
I KNOW IT WAS REALLY TOUGH
FOR HIM.
HE PULLED A LOT OF DEAD BODIES
AND DYING PEOPLE
OUT OF AIRPLANES.
I LOVE YOU.
I DON'T WANT YOU
TO HAVE TO WALK THROUGH
SOME OF THE MISERIES
THAT I'VE HAD TO WALK THROUGH.
I REALLY HOPE WE CAN
LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT
AND SEE THE PLACES THAT HE SAW
AND GET A FEEL
FOR WHAT THOSE GUYS WENT THROUGH
DURING WORLD WAR II
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
♪♪
Narrator:
TO START TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT HIS GRANDPA ENDURED,
PARKER VISITS HIS FATHER
IN HAINES, ALASKA.
A BIG PART OF
THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA TRIP
IS GOING TO BE ABOUT
MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
WITH THAT AREA,
SO I'M JUST HEADING HOME
TO SEE WHAT MY DAD KNOWS.
♪♪
Roger: OKAY. THIS IS
THE MINI SHOP HERE.
THIS IS YOUR GRANDPA'S CHEST
FROM HIS OFFICE.
CONSOLIDATED ALL THE THINGS
THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT.
ON HIS DEATH, THEY PASSED
A FLAG ONTO HIM.
FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION?RIGHT. YEAH.
OH, YEAH.
THESE ARE OLD.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THESE BEFORE.
UNBELIEVABLY OLD.
BOY, HE'S GOT
A LOT OF THINGS HERE.
MY FATHER, HE'D HAVE HAD A STORY
FOR EVERY PICTURE.
YOU KNOW?
YEAH.
LOOK AT THAT.
THERE YOU GO.
THERE'S DAD IN THE NAVY.
BOY.
"AFTER THE TEARS AND THE WRATH,
AFTER THE SORROW AND PAIN,
HIS MERCY HAS OPENED A PATH
TO LIVE WITH OURSELVES AGAIN."
♪♪
THAT'S JUST SUCH
A PERSONAL THING FOR HIM.
Parker: I MEAN, I'VE GOT
EVERY YEAR OF HIS LIFE
PRETTY WELL PEGGED EXCEPT
FOR THOSE THREE OR FOUR YEARS
THAT HE WAS
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
SO...
THOSE PHOTOS HE HAD
FROM WORLD WAR II,
HE NEVER TALKED
ABOUT THE PHOTOS.
SO IT'D BE GOOD TO FIND OUT
A LITTLE BIT MORE.
OH, LOOK, LOOK.
THIS IS THE ONE I REMEMBER,
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT?
YEAH.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLANE
THAT WOULD BE?
THAT'S AN AVENGER.
I'M SURE THAT'S ONE
THAT HE WORKED ON.
YOU KNOW?
ISN'T THAT COOL?
YEAH.
IF YOU REALLY WANT
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DAD
AND WHAT HE DID, YOU COULD
FIND OUT WHERE THESE PLANES --
THERE'S PROBABLY SOME
OF THESE RELICS AROUND.
YOU KNOW?LIKE, A RESTORED ONE?
YEAH. YOU SHOULD
DO JUST THAT.
YOU KNOW?
FIND ONE OF THOSE.
I'LL BET
IT WOULD MEAN A LOT.
♪♪
Parker: I'M LOOKING SPECIFICALLY
FOR THE AVENGER.
♪♪
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE ALMOST
10,000 OF THEM BUILT.
THERE'S NOT VERY MANY LEFT,
BUT THERE'S AN OUTFIT
THAT HAS ONE OF THEM,
AND THEY'RE CALLED
THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE.
SO, I MEAN, LOGICALLY, THIS
WOULD BE THE THING TO GO DO,
'CAUSE THEY HAVE
A FULLY INTACT AVENGER...
♪♪
...LOOKS LIKE IN COLORADO,
SO, I MEAN, WE SHOULD GO TO IT.
WE SHOULD GO LOOK AT IT.
♪♪
Narrator: PARKER MAY HAVE FOUND
AN AIR-WORTHY AVENGER,
BUT HIS EXPEDITION TEAM
IS STILL A MAN DOWN.
ADVENTURE CAMERAMAN SAM
MUST FIND A NEW RECRUIT.
Sam: SO, WE'VE COME
TO WASHINGTON STATE.
WE'RE GOING TO MEET A GUY
WHO I HOPE
WILL TAKE RICK'S PLACE
ON THE TEAM.
WE NEED SOMEONE
WHO'S AN EXPERT MEDIC,
AN EXPERT LINGUIST.
HE NEEDS TO BE INCREDIBLY GOOD
AT WORKING IN POTENTIALLY
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS.
I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO THIS GUY
CALLED FRED LEWIS,
WHO'S A FORMER GREEN BERET.
♪♪
FRED -- ON PAPER,
HE'S THE PERFECT FIT.
♪♪
[ DOORBELL RINGS ]
FRED?
WHAT'S UP?
HOW'S IT GOING?HEY, MAN. HOW YOU DOING? SAM.
NICE TO MEET YOU FINALLY.GOOD TO MEET YOU.
Narrator:
FORMER STAFF SERGEANT FRED LEWIS
HAS 14 YEARS' EXPERIENCE
AS A GREEN BERET
AND SPECIAL FORCES MEDIC.
HAVE A SEAT.Sam: OH, THANKS, MAN.
SO, HOW COME YOU'RE NOT
IN THE MILITARY ANYMORE?
I GOT INJURED IN 2009.
THE LAST MISSION WE WERE ON,
I ACTUALLY GOT SHOT BY A SNIPER
RIGHT IN THE TOP OF THE HELMET.
A MILLION-DOLLAR SHOT
WHERE IT DIDN'T KILL ME,
BUT IT JUST ENDED UP SNAPPING
ONE OF THE VERTEBRAE IN MY NECK.
SO AT THAT POINT
I WAS LIKE,
"A," I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
"B," I'M PROBABLY
RUNNING OUT OF LUCK,
AND IT'S JUST TIME
FOR ME TO HANG IT UP.
SINCE LEAVING THE MILITARY
IN 2009,
FRED'S TRAINED
AS AN ADVENTURE ATHLETE.
HE NOW COMPETES REGULARLY
IN EXTREME ENDURANCE RACES.
WE'VE GOT A BIG EXPEDITION
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE
WHO'S JUST GOING TO SLOT
SEAMLESSLY INTO THIS TEAM,
KEEP US ALL ALIVE, KEEP US SAFE.
THAT BASICALLY WAS WHAT I DID
IN THE MILITARY,
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE
RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.
I'VE GOT ALL MY MEDICAL GEAR
OUT THERE
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT.YEAH, LET'S DO IT.
LET'S DO IT.
Fred: LIKE, THIS IS LIKE
A LITTLE THROW BAG.
IT BASICALLY HAS EVERYTHING.
THIS HAS A SURGICAL SET
IF SOMEONE GETS REALLY HURT.
WHAT KIND OF INJURIES
HAVE YOU TREATED BEFORE?
ANYTHING FROM GUNSHOT WOUND
TO THE CHEST, BROKEN BONES,
AMPUTATIONS,
BLAST INJURIES, BURNS.
PARKER'S KIND OF
PERSONAL DISCIPLINE
WITH, LIKE, ANTIMALARIALS
AND HYGIENE AND THINGS
MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST.
[ SIGHS ]
WHY THE [BLEEP]
DID WE HIKE THAT?
Karla: PARKER, ESPECIALLY, GOT
SLAPPED AROUND BY THE JUNGLE.
OW!
SOMETHING BIT ME.
THE JUNGLE JUST KEEPS
JUST CHUCKING PUNCHES AT US.
Rick: PARKER'S NOT
IN GOOD SHAPE AT ALL.
Man:
ARE YOU HAVING STOMACH CRAMPS?
[ Weakly ]
YEAH, BAD.
REALLY [BLEEP] BAD.
I HATE PUKING MORE THAN
JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
UPSET STOMACH, DIARRHEA,
ALL THAT BULL
THAT I'M ALSO TRAINED
TO TREAT.
WHAT OTHER GOODIES
DO YOU HAVE?
SO, I'VE GOT
MY TRUSTY BROWN STAR,
A LITTLE DUSTY.
THIS ONE
MEANS A LOT TO ME.
GOT MY AIRBORNE WINGS,
SO THAT BASICALLY JUST SAYS,
"I JUMP OUT OF PLANES
AT 1,200 FEET,
AND THE PARACHUTE'S
PULLED FOR ME."
AIR ASSAULT,
HALO -- MY FAVORITE.
SO THAT'S HIGH ALTITUDE,
LOW OPENING.
THAT'S THE STUFF YOU SEE ON TV
WITH THE BIG OXYGEN MASKS
AND, YOU KNOW, SKY DIVERS.
♪♪
I LOVED IT.
THIS IS AN AWARD.
IT LOOKS LIKE A HAT,
BUT THE GREEN BERET
IS THE ONLY --
I THINK THERE'S TWO BERETS THAT
YOU ACTUALLY GET AWARDED TO YOU.
PROBABLY STILL FITS.
HAVEN'T WORN IT
IN A LONG TIME, BUT --
♪♪
OH, YEAH, STILL
A GREEN BERET.
I THINK THE BEARD ACTUALLY MAKES
IT LOOK A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
A LITTLE BIT OF DOG HAIR
ON THIS GREEN BERET.
WELL, YOU KNOW,
IT'S RETIRED.
RELAXED.
SHOULD I JUST WEAR THIS
ALL THE TIME?
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY.JUST EVERYWHERE WE GO?
YEAH.PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, "WHOA."
PARTICULARLY WITH THE BEARD,
IT'S A GREAT COMBINATION.
Sam: EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN
TODAY WITH FRED,
LIKE, HIS EXPERIENCE,
HIS ATTITUDE,
IF ANYONE'S GOING TO MAKE
PAPUA NEW GUINEA A SUCCESS
AND KEEP US ALIVE
AND BRING US HOME IN ONE PIECE,
I THINK IT'S FRED.
SO, YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED.
THE NEXT STEP, WE HAVE
TO INTRODUCE HIM TO PARKER.
HOPEFULLY, THEY DON'T
HATE EACH OTHER,
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A TEAM
AND GO TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
SO, WE JUST GOT HERE
THIS MORNING,
AND WE'RE GOING UP
IN THE AVENGER HERE SHORTLY.
Narrator:
PARKER IS AT THE COLORADO WING
OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE.
THEY HAVE A WORKING WAR PLANE
EXACTLY LIKE THE ONES
HIS GRANDPA MAINTAINED.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
PRETTY COLD.
THEY HAVE NO HEAT, SO WE'LL SEE
IF I DON'T FREEZE TO DEATH.
Narrator: THE TORPEDO BOMBER
WAS NAMED THE AVENGER
BECAUSE AMERICA WANTED REVENGE
FOR PEARL HARBOR.
A HANDFUL HAVE BEEN PRESERVED
BY AN ARMY
OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS.
I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT
ABOUT RESEARCHING
SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
AND TO FINALLY DO IT
AND FIND THIS PLACE,
AND I'M GOING TO GO FLY THAT.
♪♪
I HOPE WE DON'T CRASH.
[ CHUCKLES ]
♪♪
I'M PRETTY PUMPED.
Narrator:
PARKER'S TRAVELED TO COLORADO
TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE WAR PLANES
MAINTAINED BY HIS GRANDPA
OVER 75 YEARS AGO.
♪♪
WOW.
HOW ARE YOU?
Parker: GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING?
-GOOD, PARKER.
-PARKER, THIS IS DICK AND BYRON,
OUR MECHANICS.
NICE TO MEET YOU GUYS.
YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YOU.GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
THIS IS WILD.
IT'S SO COOL TO BE ABLE
TO SEE ONE.
IF YOU STICK YOUR HEAD
IN THERE --
CAN I GO IN THERE?SURE.
Narrator: THERE WERE THREE CREW
MEMBERS ONBOARD EACH AVENGER --
A PILOT, A RADIOMAN,
AND A REAR-TURRET GUNNER.
YEAH, I'VE NEVER BEEN SOMEBODY
THAT WOULD GET,
LIKE, CLAUSTROPHOBIC,
BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE,
LIKE, BEING IN A PLANE
THAT'S TAKING FIRE
AND BEING IN THIS BUBBLE.
Narrator: THE AVENGER ALSO HAD
TWO .50-CALIBER MACHINE GUNS
IN THE WINGS.
IT CARRIED 750 ROUNDS.
HAVE YOU HEARD THE SAYING,
"GIVE THEM
THE WHOLE 9 YARDS"?
YEAH.
IF YOU MEASURE 750 ROUNDS,
IT'S 9 YARDS LONG.REALLY?
THAT'S WHERE
THE SAYING CAME FROM.
I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS
SOME SPORTS TERM OR SOMETHING.
NO, SIR. IT'S WORLD WAR II.SO WHEN THEY SAY,
"GIVE THEM THE WHOLE 9 YARDS,"
THAT'S FEED THEM
THE WHOLE BELT OF AMMO.
YEP.
THAT IS SO COOL.
MM-HMM.
Narrator:
THE AVENGER WAS VERSATILE.
IT COULD OPERATE ON LAND
AND AT SEA.
♪♪
ITS STOW WING FOLDING MECHANISM
CUT THE AIRCRAFT'S SPAN
FROM 52 TO 19 FEET,
ALLOWING 50% MORE PLANES TO FIT
ONBOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIERS.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S DO THIS.
♪♪
Narrator:
FOR PARKER TO PRIME
THE AVENGER'S
1,900-HORSEPOWER ENGINE
FOR START-UP,
THE 13-FOOT PROPELLER
MUST BE TURNED NINE TIMES.
IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT.
SIX.
AS A NAVY MECHANIC,
THIS WAS ONE OF PARKER'S
GRANDPA'S JOBS.
♪♪
Parker: MY GRANDPA WAS DOING
THIS EXACT THING
AT THE SAME EXACT AGE
ON THE SAME EXACT PLANES.
♪♪
SO COOL.
♪♪
LOOK AT THAT THING.
ISN'T THAT BADASS?
PARKER?
YEAH.
READY TO GO
FLY THE AVENGER?
ARE YOU OUR PILOT?I'M CHRIS RYAN. I'M YOUR PILOT.
ALL RIGHT, CHRIS.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
HE'S YOUR DRIVER.SWEET.
HAVE YOU FLOWN THIS THING
MUCH BEFORE?
I HAVE.ALL RIGHT, GOOD.
ONCE. ONCE.ONCE? [ LAUGHS ]
[ ENGINE STARTS ]
OKAY.
♪♪
♪♪
THERE WE GO!
♪♪
LET'S DO THIS.
♪♪
[ CHUCKLES]
♪♪
OH, YEAH.
THAT IS SO COOL. LANDING GEAR COMING UP.
OH, MAN.
THIS IS AWESOME.
I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING THAT OFF
AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THOUGH,
IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR ZONE,
LOCKED AND LOADED.
YEAH.
♪♪
Narrator: AVENGER SQUADRONS
SANK MILLIONS OF TONS' WORTH
OF ENEMY SHIPS AND SUBMARINES,
HELPING AMERICA TURN THE TIDE
IN THE PACIFIC WAR
AGAINST JAPAN.
♪♪
OH, MAN.
I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING CHASED
BY A BUNCH OF JAPANESE FIGHTERS
IN THIS THING.
YEAH, IT WOULDN'T BE
A GOOD AFTERNOON.
Parker: WITH THE HISTORY THAT MY
GRANDPA HAD WITH THIS PLANE
AND WHERE WE'RE GOING IN PAPUA
NEW GUINEA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
IT'S ALWAYS BUGGED ME
THAT HE WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT,
BUT SAT IN THAT COCKPIT.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY PLANES
WOULD HAVE COME BACK
WITH SOMEBODY'S BRAINS AND BLOOD
ALL OVER THE INSIDE
OF THAT PLANE?
AND MECHANIC'S RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE PLANE.
HE'D BE CLEANING UP
WHATEVER HAPPENED
WITH THAT THING.
MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE
ABOUT WHY MY GRANDPA
DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I WOULDN'T TALK
ABOUT IT, EITHER.
YOU WANT TO TAKE IT
ON A BOMBING RUN?
OH, YEAH.
THAT'D BE GREAT.
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. WE'RE
GOING TO PUSH THE NOSE OVER.
PICK UP THE BOMB DOORS.
HERE WE GO.
THREE, TWO, ONE.
♪♪
BOMBS AWAY.
YOU CAN FEEL THE WIND?
OH, YEAH. OH, WOW.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
TERRIFYING. OHH.
THE TERRIFYING PART'S
ALL THE FLAK
THAT'D BE COMING UP AT YOU. RIGHT.
MAN, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TELL
SAM AND KARLA ABOUT THIS,
'CAUSE THEY'LL JUST BE
TOO JEALOUS.
[ CHUCKLES] ALL RIGHT.
LANDING GEAR'S COMING DOWN.
HERE COMES THE CLUNK.
THE OTHER ONE.
KIND OF NERVE-RACKING THING
ABOUT THESE
IS THEY COME OUT
OF THE SKY REALLY WELL.
YOU GET A LITTLE REMINDER
OF THAT EVERY TIME YOU LAND.
YOU PULL THE POWER BACK, AND
THE THING JUST WANTS TO DROP.
♪♪
[ TIRES SCREECH ]
♪♪
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]
[ Chuckling ] DUDE!
GLAD YOU HAD FUN.
IT'S -- YEAH.
THANK YOU GUYS.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
YES.YEAH, UNBELIEVABLE.
WHAT A RUSH THAT IS.YOU'RE WELCOME.
Parker: I REALLY DON'T KNOW
WHAT MY GRANDPA
WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
OF THIS WHOLE THING.
LIKE, IF HE WERE ALIVE
RIGHT NOW
AND I WENT HOME
AND TOLD HIM ABOUT ALL THIS...
♪♪
...[BLEEP] I WONDER --
I WONDER WHAT HE'D SAY.
PART OF ME'S KIND OF GLAD
THAT I CAN'T DO THAT.
I'M SURE THERE'S A REASON
HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME,
THIS IS A VERY COOL,
FUN EXPERIENCE.
FOR HIM, IT WASN'T.
AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE,
IT WASN'T.
AND FOR A LOT PEOPLE, THEIR LAST
EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIFE
WAS HAD IN ONE OF THESE PLANES.
♪♪
Narrator: UP AHEAD...
I'LL BE HONEST.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
...A MAJOR DECISION
FOR THE ENTIRE EXPEDITION.
Parker: HAVE A SEAT.
WILL FRED BE JOINING THE TEAM?
YOU MIGHT PULL YOUR HAIR OUT
DEALING WITH US.
LIKE, THAT'S
MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
♪♪
Narrator:
THERE'S A POTENTIAL NEW RECRUIT
FOR PARKER'S EXPEDITION
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
FRED IS A GREEN BERET MEDIC
WITH 14 YEARS'
MILITARY EXPERIENCE,
INCLUDING COMBAT TOURS
OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
HE'S TRAVELED 2,000 MILES
FROM WASHINGTON STATE
FOR A MAKE-OR-BREAK MEETING.
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YUKON,
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,
LOOKING FOR PARKER SCHNABEL.
I'M GOING TO GO UP AND TALK
TO HIM ABOUT JOINING THE TEAM.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK
I'VE BEEN TRAINED FOR,
AND I'M SUPER MOTIVATED TO BE
PART OF A TEAM AGAIN.
I'LL BE HONEST.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
I'VE NEVER MET PARKER BEFORE,
AND I KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT GOLD MINING,
AND I HOPE THAT
THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
♪♪
[ DOG BARKS ]Parker: DOZER, CALM DOWN.
COME ON IN.NICE TO MEET YOU.
IN THE MIDDLE
OF [BLEEP] NOWHERE.
HAVE A SEAT.
SO, HOW ARE YOU DOING?Fred: I'M DOING GREAT.
HOW WAS YOUR TRIP UP?
LONG, BUT IT WAS
ACTUALLY REALLY NICE.
I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS PART
OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE.
IT'S FREAKING AWESOME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE
ALWAYS KEPT SAM AND I CLOSE
IS WE HAVE
A FAIRLY SIMILAR
LACK OF SENSE
OF SELF-PRESERVATION,
I THINK IS PROBABLY
THE BEST WAY OF PUTTING IT.
SO YOU MIGHT PULL YOUR HAIR OUT
DEALING WITH US.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
I'M NOT YOUR TYPICAL MEDIC,
SO I DON'T BELIEVE
IN NOT TAKING RISKS AT ALL.RIGHT.
I BELIEVE IN FIGURING OUT
HOW TO MAKE THAT RISK
SO WE DON'T DIE.
AND I'M AN ADVENTURE ATHLETE.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND DO THINGS
THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO
AND HAVE FUN DOING THEM.RIGHT.
SO THIS IS PERFECT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S GOOD.
AND YOU WANT TO DO IT?
OH, HELL YEAH, 100%.
TO ME, ATTITUDE OUTWEIGHS
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING,
SO WE'LL LEAVE THE
"GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER"
FOR PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
BUT ARE YOU DOWN?
YEAH, TOTALLY DOWN,
AND WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME
TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
THANKS, MAN.
Man: HOW'D THAT GO, MATE?IT WENT AWESOME.
I REALLY LIKE PARKER. PARKER
SEEMS LIKE A REALLY NICE GUY.
AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
HERE WE COME.
LET'S DO IT.
OH, YEAH.
WE FOUND OUR MAN.
FRED'S A RAD DUDE, AND HE'S GOT
QUITE THE BACKGROUND
WITH EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: WITH FRED ON BOARD,
THE TRAIL TEAM IS COMPLETE
AND READY TO ASSEMBLE.
♪♪
-YO, YO!
-HEY, MAN!
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
GOOD.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU, TOO.
-HEY, FRED.
-HOW'S IT GOING?
-GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
-PRETTY GOOD.
OKAY, SO, I JUST MET FRED,
AND I'VE ONLY KNOWN HIM
FOR 20 MINUTES,
AND HE'S MY NEW BEST FRIEND.
[ LAUGHS ] HE IS.
WE GET ALONG SO GOOD.
OKAY, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND.
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR
FINAL SEASON GOLD POURING.
Sam: TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME
THE FOUR OF US GOT TOGETHER,
AND THERE'S JUST
A REALLY GOOD BUZZ
IN THE GROUP,
REALLY GOOD ENERGY.
Parker:
SHOULD I BRING ONE TO PNG
SO THAT WHEN YOU END UP IN JAIL,
I CAN BAIL YOU OUT, SAM?
YEAH, TAPE A COUPLE
TO YOUR THIGH, DEFINITELY.
-[ CHUCKLES ]
-LET'S LEAVE HIM IN JAIL.
GOING INTO PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
I THINK IT'S JUST
AN AMAZING ADVENTURE.
IT'S LIKE BUCKET-LIST MATERIAL.
♪♪
WELCOME, FRED.
Karla:
THANKS, FRED, FOR JOINING.
YES, THANK YOU
FOR WELCOMING ME.
TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
-PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
-PNG.
I'M EXCITED. THIS IS GOING TO BE
A PRETTY RAW EXPERIENCE,
PRETTY INTENSE.
REALLY HAPPY THAT FREDDY
IS ON BOARD,
AND WHATEVER WE GET
OUT OF THE TRIP,
IT'S GOING TO BE LIFE-CHANGING.
♪♪
THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE
THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.
PARKER'S IN. I THINK IT'S JUST
WHAT HE'S GOING TO NEED.
KARLA'S ALWAYS 100%,
AND I THINK IF ANYONE'S
GOING TO KEEP US ALIVE
IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
FRED'S THE MAN.
Parker: LIKE, I'M ONLY 24,
BUT, YOU KNOW,
I'VE DONE A LOT IN MY LIFE.
BUT GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA
AND PULLING THIS OFF
AND FINDING SOME GOLD
AND RECONNECTING
WITH MY GRANDPA'S HISTORY
WOULD, BY FAR, BE
THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE,
BAR NONE.
♪♪
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A BAR
WITH TWO MACHINE GUNS, A BOMB.
Narrator: UP AHEAD...WHERE THE [BLEEP] ARE WE?
...THE TEAM ARRIVES
IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
READY FOR THE ADVENTURE
OF A LIFETIME.
WE'RE NOW IN
A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS
AND MUCH MORE REMOTE COUNTRY.
GUYANA WAS HARD.
THIS IS NEXT-LEVEL.
Narrator:
THIS OFF-SEASON, PARKER'S GOING
TO THE VOLCANIC HIGHLANDS
OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
TO EXPLORE PORGERA,
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
GOLD MINES IN THE WORLD.
Parker: LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S CRAZY.
FIVE OF THE BIGGEST GOLD MINES
I'VE EVER SEEN
WOULD FIT IN THIS GOLD MINE.
THIS MINE HAS PRODUCED ALMOST
20 MILLION OUNCES OF GOLD.
LIKE, THAT'S $25 BILLION
WORTH OF GOLD.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: FROM THE KLONDIKE,
IT'S 11,500 MILES,
24 HOURS, AND 5 PLANES
TO RABAUL IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
♪♪
ULTIMATELY, THIS IS A TRIP
ABOUT GOLD AND LOOKING FOR GOLD.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT
THIS PART OF THE WORLD, THOUGH,
IS MY GRANDPA SPENT
4 YEARS HERE IN WORLD WAR II.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN 75 YEARS
SINCE HE FOUGHT HERE,
SO IF I CAN COME OVER HERE
AND PICK UP A FEW OF THE PIECES
THAT HE NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT
AND FILL IN, YOU KNOW, THAT PART
OF THE PUZZLE OF HIS LIFE
THAT I NEVER SAW,
THEN THAT'LL BE A HUGE SUCCESS
FOR ME, AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING
TO START THE TRIP WITH THAT.
♪♪
Sam: DUDE. HEY!
Karla: HEY, MAN!
WHAT'S UP?HOW ARE YOU, MAN?
GOOD SEEING YOU.GOOD. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
OH, LOOK AT YOU GUYS.
SO GOOD.
-PARKER.
-FRED!
WE'RE IN "STAR WARS."
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A BAR
WITH TWO .50-CAL
MACHINE GUNS, A BOMB...
A TORPEDO.
...A TORPEDO,
AND WHAT IS THAT?
ANOTHER MACHINE GUN.YEAH.
IT'S LIKE, WHERE
THE [BLEEP] ARE WE?
-HI, OS.
-HEY.
-HI, OS.
-HOW'S IT GOING, BRO?
Narrator: ADVISING THE TEAM,
EMERGENCY RESCUE EXPERT
DAVID "OS" OSBORNE,
WHO LED THEIR EVACUATION
FROM GUYANA LAST SEASON.
Os:
HOW'S IT GOING? GOOD.
GUYANA WAS VERY, VERY TOUGH.
WE HAD RIOTS
AND A CIVIL UPRISING.
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]
Parker:
WHAT THE [BLEEP] IS GOING ON?
I NEED YOU TO KEEP
YOUR HEADS DOWN,
JUST KEEP
A STEADY PACE THROUGH.
ALL RIGHT?
[ MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY ]
-STAY IN OUR TRUCKS.
-WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP
PARKER AND HIS TEAM SAFE.
[ MEN SHOUTING ]LET'S GO. LET'S GO. LET'S GO.
♪♪
ALL RIGHT, GUYS.
GOOD JOB.
WE'RE NOW SAFE.
THIS YEAR, THE GUYS,
THEY'RE TRAVELING
MUCH, MUCH FURTHER
THAN THEY'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
THEY'RE IN MUCH MORE
REMOTE LOCATIONS
IN A VERY SOMETIMES
VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT.
-COMFORTABLE?
-NOPE.
AND THEY'RE ATTEMPTING,
ULTIMATELY,
TO DO MUCH MORE GENUINELY
DANGEROUS MINING.
I'M WORRIED, FRANKLY,
FOR THEIR SAFETY,
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THEY ALL GET THROUGH IT.
THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU GUYS,
WE WERE GETTING OUT OF GUYANA,
AND THAT WAS BRUTAL.
LET'S BE HONEST.
WE ARE NOW IN, ARGUABLY,
A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS
AND MUCH MORE REMOTE COUNTRY.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Karla: LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
-YEAH.
-ARE YOU OKAY?
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH
EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF THE MYRIAD RISKS,
SO YOU GUYS HAVE
TO WORK AS A TEAM.
IT'S GOING TO FLASH FLOOD
IN 2 MINUTES.
MAKE A CALL.
MAKE IT QUICK.
OH, MY [BLEEP]
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE
GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.
AND JUST KNOW, WE ARE GOING
TO BE FOLLOWING YOU
EVERY INCH OF THE WAY,
BUT IT'S AT A DISTANCE.
THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY.
THIS IS YOUR ADVENTURE.
I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE
TO COME IN THERE,
BECAUSE IF I COME IN THERE,
THEN SOMETHING'S GONE
SERIOUSLY [BLEEP] WRONG.
[ Whispering ] It's definitely
not a good situation.
SO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
GUYANA WAS HARD.
THIS IS NEXT-LEVEL.
ALL RIGHT? GOOD LUCK.
Karla:
I WANT TO WORK AS A TEAM,
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE
ON ALL THE STRESS
OF BEING IN THE FRONT
LOOKING FOR SNAKES, YOU KNOW?
IT'S, LIKE, NICE TO ROTATE THAT.
THIS IS POTENTIALLY
THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.
LIKE, THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE
IN THE WORLD,
THAT I'M AWARE OF,
THAT'S LIKE PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
I'M READY FOR THIS, SO BRING IT.
IT'S A GOOD KIND OF EXCITED
RIGHT NOW.
WHEN YOUR FEET ARE [BLEEP]
AND YOU'VE BEEN TREKKING
FOR A MONTH STRAIGHT...
Sam:
GUYS, WE NEED TO STOP FOR A SEC.
MY FEET ARE IN PIECES.
THAT WAS NASTY.
...THAT'S WHEN
DEPRESSED PARKER COMES,
OR WORSE, MAD PARKER.
YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE
I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
IT'S THE MAD PARKER THAT
I'M REALLY NOT PREPARED FOR,
BUT I LIKE
THE UNKNOWN, SO...
[ LAUGHS ]
Narrator: UP AHEAD...
Parker: WE'RE DEFINITELY
IN GOLD COUNTRY NOW.
Narrator: ...ON A WHOLE NEW
SEASON OF "PARKER'S TRAIL"...
-YES!
-WHAT?
YEAH, BUDDY.
...PARKER DIVES DEEP TO HONOR
HIS GRANDPA'S MEMORY.
WAR IS [BLEEP] BRUTAL.
I CAN'T IMAGINE GOING
THROUGH THAT AT MY AGE.
Narrator:
THEY CLIMB VOLCANOES...
YOU'VE GOT A PULSE OF ABOUT 160,
SO DEEP BREATHS.
♪♪
...SURVIVE THE JUNGLE...
Fred:
OH, YEAH! IT'S A TUNNEL.
THINK WE MIGHT BE
A LITTLE BIT LOST.
AAH!
Narrator:
...AND FACE TRIBAL WARRIORS.
Woman: GO. GO, GO, GO!
-GO, GO!
-GO, GO, GO!
Parker:
ROLL YOUR WINDOWS UP.
Fred:
LOCK DOORS. LOCK YOUR DOORS.
-GO, GO, GO.
-GO.
I'VE BEEN IN
ENVIRONMENTS LIKE THAT
WHERE [BLEEP] GETS OUT
OF HAND SUPER FAST.
Narrator: ...RISKING IT ALL
TO LEARN HOW THE LOCALS MINE...
IN THIS PLACE,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A POLICE ESCORT.
THE MINE HAS SHOT PEOPLE BEFORE.
OH![ CROWD CLAMORING INDISTINCTLY ]
Sam: HE WAS ON THE MINE,
AND HE GOT SHOT?
Man: YEAH.
IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN A WAR ZONE.
Narrator: ...CHASING
A 21st-CENTURY GOLD RUSH.
Karla:
WATER! FRED, GET OUT!
YOU GET LIKE A 1-SECOND WARNING,
THEN "BOOM."
IF I RAN AN OPERATION LIKE THIS,
I WOULD BE IN JAIL.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Fred: PARKER!
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS