Jade Fever (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - May Jay! - full transcript

(rolling thunder)

(metallic ring)

- Whoa! Whoa! Oh my God.

Up here near the Yukon in Jade City,

we've got the world's richest deposits

of nephrite jade.

And the Chinese want it.

(laughing)

- This is going to be
the million dollar rock.

- Now, we just have to find it.

- Woo hoo!



- I will dig until my hands bleed.

Woo hoo! Go!

- Jade makes people do crazy things.

(laughing)

(rain drizzling)

(mud squelching)

- Hey, you guys, can we
have a quick safety meeting?

- R-2.

- So, just because of the
accident that happened,

um, I just wanna make sure that we're all

sort of on the same page
with the whole safety stuff

that's going on right now.

- [Narrator] The crew
at the Wolverine site

in Northern British Columbia is dealing



with disturbing news.

There has been a fatality
on a nearby jade mine.

An operator and his
excavator slid off a cliff.

- Well, I think that
because of the accident,

we just wanna make sure
that we are understanding

of what we need to do, all of us

- Yeah, we wanna have all our
bases covered, absolutely.

- Yeah.

- One of the operators, um, the equipment

and him went over the mountain.

Um, they're saying around 700 feet.

Its tragic for all of us.

Its a small jade industry, so.

- Very sad, immediately
I, I thought of his family

and, brings the reality
really home to all of us

out here.

- [Narrator] It hits home
for guys with young families

like crew hand, Robin,
or R-2, as he's called.

- [R-2] Coming out to work for the summer

and not going home, that's not acceptable.

- Everyday somebody could
be killed on a mine site,

even ours.

- Well, I think that
because of the accident,

the ministry of mines and
WCB gonna be showing up

any day now.

- [Narrator] Wolverine
is a half hour by chopper

to the nearest town, Dease Lake.

In an emergency, the crew has
to radio another mining camp,

Provencher, 10 kilometers away,

which has its own helicopter
to fly the patient

to Dease Lake.

- [Josh] Who gets contacted
if somebody's dying?

- From Provencher on a two-way radio.

- Two-way radio, you phone Provencher,

get them over here with a helicopter.

- We are in the middle of nowhere and

if you're not phoning the right people

at the right time and the right people

for the right accidents,
um, you gotta really

be thinking fast.

You know, is it a minor
accident, is it a major accident,

who do I phone?

Do I phone the paramedics, do I phone,

yeah, its really serious.

You really have to plan
ahead with your crew.

- Does anyone know what time it is?

- 10:20.

- Right around the same
time I left yesterday.

- [Claudia] Come on Cat, lets go inside.

(guitar strum)

(stream water running)

- [Narrator] The nearby work site fatality

could trigger a visit from
the mining inspectors,

and Robin's worried that they may find out

that his nephew Devon,
has excavated outside

the permitted work zone.

- Where he stopped over
there and made the dip,

close to the line, he's over the line

by half of that whole.

They're way off.

From here,

to here,

that's 350 meters.

- 350 meters.

Okay, well, are those
your north co-ordinates?

- He's over the line.

He's too close to the creek by 30 feet.

- Well, you wanna go
find that five-pointer?

- Yeah, we'll go up there.

- If you no likey, you tell me.

- I know now that I have is the work zone

that we've applied for.

We're right on the line of the work zone

and we don't wanna go over that.

- [Narrator] Robin and Guy
double-check the perimeter

of their work zone using GPS co-ordinates.

- So we gotta go to 50.

39,

40,

42.

- GPS talk, that's why he's got the GPS.

- We're at eight or nine now.

We're at 830-something.

- Okay, you just going the wrong way then.

- What do you have there?

- 52.

- 52? We're supposed to be 50.

- I'm thinking here we're safe.

- Here, right here,

that is it.

Tie it on that root and we'll walk over

to that tree there and
see if that's the same.

- [Narrator] It looks like some of

the excavation crossed the line.

So they'll have to make sure they stay

in bounds from now on.

If they're caught mining
out of their work zone,

they could be shut down
for the rest of the season.

- So just inside of this tree.

- Oh, that's okay.

We stay under 300 meters, we're good.

- And all the way back to
where we've been mining.

- So we can walk it.

- [Narrator] On the
way back, Robin and Guy

stumble over a boulder with
some tinges of green showing.

- Well, that's definitely interesting.

- Sure is.

This one here has a really good potential.

You remember where its at?

- Yeah, yeah, I got GPS on that one.

- [Narrator] Back at
camp, Guy joins Claudia.

They examine their best find to date,

a partially buried boulder,
new-comer Jay found

that has a two inch spot of
jewelry grade jade inside.

- But when you hit it with the hammer

its different sounds at both ends.

So we cut it a second time
just cause we had time.

- Oh, so this is the other
side of it, you mean?

There's jade here obviously.

If there's this, then there's jade.

Lets cut it again and
get Josh to take it out.

- Here's the one with the good jade here,

we're gonna buck it down to just the jade

the we'll ship it out.

(generator humming)

- [Narrator] Claudia wants
to see how deep the pocket

of grade-A jade goes.

- [Claudia] Yes there's a strategy,

but its not 100% strategy.

Its tough doing a job in an industry

where everybody has an opinion

and nothing is really proven.

Nope, we do one more,
right in the middle again.

- [Narrator] The odds are that
the jade lies in the center

of the rock.

The only way to see for sure
is to cut it down the middle.

- Its all guessing.

There's no proven strategy
in finding the jade.

The name of the game is
patience and perseverance.

(saw grinding)

(water dripping)

We're getting better,
we're getting better.

- All right, here's your sample.

Think we should have
cut it a little further.

- (Claudia) Oh my god.

- And the other half's the same.

- [Narrator] The second
cut closer to the middle

of the rock has revealed an
impressive chunk of jade.

- And you know, if we
ever would have cut this

anywhere but in the middle,
we'd never would have seen it.

- (Guy) If the whole rock was
like that, it'd be the goods.

(deep sigh)

- (Claudia) Hey, wanna see something?

- [Narrator] Rookie Jay leaves
his bed for the first time

since injuring his back two days ago.

He arrived in camp eager
to prove that he's a miner

just like his geologist dad.

- My father is an engineer of mining.

I want to be a man, just like my father.

This is really hard work.

- [Narrator] All the manual
work was too much for him.

- And you know, if we ever
would have cut this anywhere

but in the middle, we'd
never would have seen it.

That grade is gorgeous.

- [Narrator] Even though
it was Jay who found it,

he's not interested in
the high quality jade.

He's in too much pain.

- (Jay) I can't stand.

- (Claudia) Can't even stand? Okay.

- No, not, not good.

Terrible.

Ouch.

(door shutting)

(helicopter whirring)

- (Guy) You never know, it
could be the mine inspector.

- (Robin) Gotta show them around.

- (Guy) Uh oh.

- [Narrator] Then the visitors
they've been dreading.

The mining inspectors are here.

(helicopter blades whirring)

(upbeat music)

(helicopter blades whirring)

- (Guy) Oh boy.

- (Robin) Somebody's
gotta show them around.

- [Narrator] At Wolverine,
the crew has surprise guests,

mining inspectors.

- We're extremely nervous,
we don't wanna have

a problem out here.

- Once they land, there's
nothing you can do about it.

- (Claudia) Hey.

- (Inspectors) How you doing?

- [Narrator] Claudia
and Robin do their best

to keep talk away from
work zone boundaries.

(laughing hysterically)

- Chicken! I just made chicken!

- [Narrator] But to
day, the inspectors are

only interested in safety.

- (Inspector) What have you
got for a first aid room now?

(somber hum)

- Uh, room?

- Yeah.

- We have to use the motor home.

- So can you get a stretcher
in and out of the motor home?

- We have to use the coat
rack for a stretcher.

- (Inspector) You have to
be able to get a stretcher

in and out.

- I think that would have to be--

- Have to be--

- Wouldn't it in the motor home though?

- (Robin) You aint getting it--

- Safely in the dining room.

- (Robin) If its placed nicely.

- They're God out here.

The worst that could happen is that

they shut me down immediately
and we all go home.

- (Inspector) Who's the
designated first aider on site?

- I am.

- (Robin) He is.

- (Inspector) Okay, so
you have to know where all

the stuff is.

- Absolutely.

- (Inspector) Organized,
that sort of thing.

- Yeah.

- (Inspector) Now, that
oxygen kit is too small.

- (Robin) Its too small?

- (Inspector) Yeah.

- (Robin) Okay.

- (Inspector) Where's
the helicopter stretcher?

- Spine board?

- (Robin) Its uh--

- I thought we--

- (Robin) No.

- I thought we for sure had one here.

But we don't.

So we'll do that tonight.

- [Narrator] For now, they get a warning.

- It would have been a miracle

if we hadn't done anything wrong.

We have our hands slapped on a few things

we'll fix a few things.

To get a passing grade is huge.

(helicopter blades whirring)

(sigh of relief)

- I need to go pee.

(amused laughter)

(rhythmic percussive music)

- [Narrator] The next
day, R-2 starts building

a new first aid cabin.

- Got a nice bright and early start,

Josh arrived with a big load.

We've got the crummy with a cabin.

And, so we're going to
assemble that today.

Lets make it work.

Okay.

(drill whirring)

- 12, 14 hour days all summer long,

I'm starting to question
really what I'm doing out here,

is it worth the sacrifice?

I'm really missing my family.

Out in the middle of nowhere, um,

spending the summer without my kids again.

(drill whirring)

- That's as far as we go that way.

Passed that broken tree, to the big tree,

stay on this side of
the big tree from there.

- (Devon) Okay.

- [Narrator] Robin wants
Devon to go grab the boulder

he spotted earlier in the brush.

Its been only a few days since the news

of a mining fatality nearby,

now everyone is focused on safety.

- One slip, one wrong
move, I mean we're moving

big huge 10 ton boulders.

We're nothing to a 10 ton
boulder, 20 ton boulder.

- Slow and steady.

- When we're at Wolverine,
we're far away from help.

We gotta order a chopper.

If the chopper answers and
if everything happens quick,

you might get the person
to hospital in two hours.

- Whoa!

- But you can never be too careful.

You gotta remember you're around saws,

you're around equipment,
you're walking in the mud.

It just never stops.

(drill whirring)

- (Claudia) We're in
the middle of nowhere,

like literally the middle of nowhere.

We though Jade City was
the middle of nowhere

no, no, this is the middle of nowhere.

Minimum, minimum, one hour away from help.

(clanging of sheet metal)

- [Narrator] New guy, Jay, steps out again

still suffering from an injured back.

- This in eight tons will bring us

about eight million dollars.

That grade is gorgeous.

- I saw one like this,

- Yeah.

- cut this side, didn't find this.

- Nope.

Cut this side.

- [Narrator] The jade tends
to lie deep in the center

of ordinary rocks.

- Have to always cut in the middle,

then we go to the sides if we have to.

- That way we're not missing it.

- Yeah.

(painful grunt)

(drill whirring)

- I managed to stay on the roof,

we didn't need that spine
board that we don't have, so.

- [Narrator] But R-2 spoke too soon.

- (Claudia) No!

- What?

- R-2!

Run!

- [Narrator] Jay's down.

- What the hell happened?

- Jay's passed out from the f***ing pain.

- Someone just fell?

(painful grunting)

- We've got to carry him out here.

- I don't know what to
do, is he gonna make it?

- We need a stretcher.

(painful cries)

(suspenseful music)

- (Claudia) R-2! Run!

- (R-2) What the hell happened?

- Jay's passed out from the f***ing pain.

(painful cries)

- We've got to carry him out here.

- [Narrator] At Wolverine, the
new guy Jay, has collapsed.

- On your side.

Just wait Jay.

Keep his spine straight.

(painful cries)

- We gotta get his head straight.

We need a pillow or a
cushion or something.

- No, no, no, no, no.

- One for between his legs
and one under his head.

- [Narrator] R-2 is the
camp's designated first aid

and a trained massage therapist.

- You wanna be on your stomach?

- Change, change please its sore.

- (Claudia) What is happening?

- He said the nerves are pinching,

he's got a lot of
pressure from his injury.

- Provencher, you gotta copy, Provencher.

- [Narrator] Claudia radio's a nearby camp

to get a helicopter sent.

- What do you need?

Face down?

- Yeah, face down.

- [Narrator] The closest
clinic is a half hour away

in Dease Lake but it has limited services.

(painful cries)

- Okay, give that arm.

- Oh god.

Okay, we're in trouble here.

- (Control) You do not have
a backboard, is that correct?

- That is correct.

- (Control) Okay, I'll
see what we got here.

- Yeah, we don't have a spine board.

We need one out here.

And right away, we're
in need of a spine board

we don't have one.

- We gotta get the quads out of here

because he's going to land right here.

- R-2.

- Yeah?

- Hold my stomach.

- Your stomach?

- Yeah.

- Oh, no, no, no, no.

(painful cry)

- Stretch it a little.

(helicopter whirring)

- Can you guys land right in the driveway

rather than on the helipad area?

- [Narrator] The helicopter
rotor whips up loose gravel

making it impossible to land.

- Everything is clear,
everything's removed.

- (Control) Guys make sure,
that if you got debris there,

its gonna fly around.

If you've got a hose, just
give 'er a shot of water.

It'll make it easier on everybody.

- We need to try to water this up.

All this stuff is flying up
and flying all over the place.

- I'm gonna hose down the
pad for the helicopter.

Pull it out from your side.

(helicopter whirring)

- You what?

- Get the broom Claudia,
and sweep this off.

(water spraying)

(helicopter whirring)

- [Narrator] R-2 moves Jay
onto a make-shift spine board.

- Straight and hard surface,
its gonna be the best.

- You ready?

- As you roll, I'll
hold the shoulders here.

- Get his head.

- This will take the
tension off your back.

Yeah, he's got some serious pain going on

um, no risk of severing
nerves or anything.

Its not a broken back.

He has a previous injury
there, so its his weak point.

Its pinching the nerve really badly,

that's extremely painful.

- He was stabbed when he was younger, um,

in the back, he was mugged and stabbed.

So we don't know what
kind of spinal injuries

he's had.

- [Narrator] The paramedics
have a proper spine board.

- So, we'll tilt you to your left.

- Is it in?

- (Paramedic) Not bad.

- Not bad.

- Yeah.

- (Claudia) You guys
are going to be flying

like this for a while,
so, lets get you in.

- No, no.

- Over here.

- How you wanna do it?

(somber guitar music)

(helicopter whirring)

- It needs to be better than this.

Because if this was a bloody injury

where they were leaking blood or whatever

this is way too long.

(fast paced drums)

(wind howling)

- That's not a way that any
of us ever want to leave camp

that's for sure.

- [Narrator] Its been a rude awakening

for the crew at Wolverine.

- Yeah we were like
excited we wanted to show

um, Jay the rock that we had just cut

that we were so excited about and um,

we barely got to the trailer
and he just collapsed

and me and Devon dragged him over to here

and um, just, all of his muscles I guess.

Yeah, we just don't know.

- [Narrator] Back to work, Robin and Guy

cut the boulder they found in the brush

earlier in the day.

Jay's collapse still fresh in their mind.

- The belief of Chinese is that

no good jade is found until blood is shed.

But, okay, with that, our blood shed.

So maybe now the Wolverine site is clear

ready to go and now we can
find all of our boulders.

(hammer tapping)

(rock crumbling)

- (Claudia) Whoa! Holy--

- Remember this.

- (Claudia) F***!

- [Narrator] Shining the light
on the surface of the rock

helps identify the color
and grade of the jade.

- (Claudia) Oh my God.

Oh you don't even need that light.

This is like beyond grade-A
carving rating here, hey.

We're hitting jade.

Sometimes you just gotta keep on going

when it looks like there's
no hope but there is.

It is beautiful.

Oh, thank you lord Jesus.

- These are carvable, right
through those fractures.

- (Claudia) You got, grade-A carving?

- Yeah.

- [Narrator] A grade-A
carving boulder of this size

could sell for over $100,000

if they can find the right buyer.

- Exactly what we look for.

- Okay next rock, who's getting hurt.

(laughing)

- Whatever works man.

- That's the best one this year, you bet.

Feels good.

Gotta find some more now.

- [Narrator] The next
day, back in Jade City,

Jay is out of the Dease Lake clinic.

(knocking)

- Jay, its Robin.

How you doing Jay?

How did you sleep last night?

- Yeah, good.

- Good, oh, let me help you.

Here, I can do these up for you.

Not happy to go home?

- I want to stay.

Stay in mining

- I know man.

- [Narrator] But Jay won't be following

in his father's footsteps after all.

He's done working in the mine,

but will continue working with

Claudia's business partners in Vancouver.

- For extra support.

He's seen the nurse, he's
got muscle relaxants.

They gave him a shot an anti-inflammatory.

It was nice having you at
camp and you worked hard

and I'll send you those pictures.

- Okay, I will wait for the picture.

- Any good jade we find.

Yeah absolutely.

We gotta put him on his
flight, up through Whitehorse

down to Vancouver.

That's a five hour trip,

first hour and a half is
gonna be torture on his body.

Right on. That's considerably
better than yesterday.

Things are loosening up a bit.

Feel bad for the guy
but this is the north,

this is what you expect.

- [Narrator] R-2 was there
for Jay, but this summer

he won't be there for his family.

Despite the risks in mining
and distance from his kids,

R-2 will soldier on and
return to mining at Wolverine.

- Take care.

- Okay

- Heal up.

- I've committed to this
summer, even if I wanted to

I don't think Claudia
would physically allow me

to not be around camp.

I'll definitely be
finishing up this season.

- [Narrator] Next time on Jade Fever.

- (Claudia) Got my lucky jammies on.

Did you find any jade?

Might be time to do my dad in.

- (Steve) Unbelievable.
There's three-four thousand

pieces.

Kaka, time to quit.

(Laughing jovially)

- (Josh) Devon and I have
to get this excavator

to camp.

(yelling loudly)

(motor whirring)

- Hello boulder camp,
is there anyone nearby?

Oh.

I'm stranded.