The Curse of Civil War Gold (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 9 - Debris Field of Dreams - full transcript

KEVIN:
The waves are so bad.
The visibility is so bad.

We don't have much time left.
If we have to bring in

a professional diver, so be it.

KEVIN:
I need to be able
to show Marty proof.

Let me know when
you get to the bottom.

KEVIN:
The stakes are really high.

-What is that?
-There's another one.

-How many did you see total?
-Four or five.

-KEVIN: Holy...
-MARTY: Am I seeing

what I think I'm seeing here?

♪



KEVIN:
It's gonna get cold out there.

-FRED: Yeah.
-BRAD: Well, it's Michigan.

Pretty soon the lake's
gonna freeze right over.

Yeah, you know, we don't have
much time in this year left.

NARRATOR:
In Muskegon, Michigan,

treasure hunter Kevin Dykstra,

his brother Al,
along with history teacher

Brad Richards
and researchers Jeff Zehr

and Frederick J. Monroe,

have gathered
at Kevin's workshop

for an important meeting.

I mean, we got that footage
on the bottom of the lake,

-and we can't get back to it.
-BRAD: Well, it's Michigan.

-I mean, it's that time of year.
-FRED: It's just treacherous.



-Yep, that's right.
-Yeah.

KEVIN: Yeah, our days out there
are definitely numbered.

You know, we've gotten kicked
off the lake, but we've had

-some good successes.
-Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

BRIAN:
Sonar's picking up
a bunch of targets, guys.

KEVIN:
If that boxcar came off
on that car ferry,

it just broke apart,

-that's exactly
what we'd look for.
-BRIAN: Mm-hmm.

NARRATOR:
Over the past several months,
Kevin and his team,

aided by Oak Island
treasure hunter Marty Lagina

and his son Alex,

have found compelling evidence
of what could be the remains

of a 19th century boxcar
on the bottom of Lake Michigan

believed to contain
a reported $140 million

in stolen Confederate gold.

According to Kevin's research--

and a deathbed confession

made by a lighthouse keeper
in the late 1800s--

as a portion of the gold
was being transported

in a boxcar out West by millionaire Charles Hackley,

it was deliberately
pushed off a ferryboat

and sent crashing to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

-Marty, how are you?
-Hey, Kevin.
How in the heck are you?

Just one week ago,
Muskegon resident Kurt Hazard,

a direct descendant
of one of the Union soldiers

possibly connected to
the original theft of the gold

in 1865, presented
to Kevin and Marty Lagina

physical proof that Confederate gold had indeed made its way

to Michigan
after the Civil War.

Has it got friends
at the bottom of Lake Michigan?

-It's definitely got
some cousins down there.
-Yeah.

-Get back out there.
-KEVIN: When Marty

agrees to work on a project,
he has to believe in it,

or he's not gonna be
part of it.

It'd be very nice to have
another thing put in my hand.

KEVIN:
So to have Marty on board

pushes us even harder
to get proof

that that gold is right there
at the bottom of the lake

just waiting to be found.

That data from the sector scan

really pushed us a long ways.

You know,
we've got the video footage

from the cameras;
we did the metal detecting

down there; we got
the sonar images from topside.

NARRATOR:
Although Kevin and his team

are currently waiting
for a permit

from the Army Corps
of Engineers

to perform
a more thorough search

for the boxcar
in his target areas,

increasingly severe weather,

due to the oncoming
fall season,

has prevented Kevin
from obtaining

definitive proof that
he has found the resting place

of the legendary boxcar.

And now time is running out

if he wants to prove
that eight years of research

-is true.
-KEVIN: Well,
we've now received

a permit
from the State of Michigan

for the dredging process.

Um, we're still waiting
for the permit

from the Army Corps of Engineers
before we can actually proceed.

The waves are so bad,
the visibility is so bad,

Al and I are just not
comfortable in those huge waves.

I mean, we're just not.

You know, we want to find
that gold, but...

-you know...
-JEFF: We know. I mean...

the-the lake is
really hard to deal with.

As much as we want to find it
and-and validate this,

it's not worth
somebody getting hurt, so...

A fella reached out to me
some time ago-- Mike Nelson.

This guy, he's not afraid

of any type of conditions
out on the lake.

He told me, if-if we need help,

"Send me down first, I'll tell
you what it's like out there."

You know, we're-we're all
willing to go the extra mile

and do whatever it takes, but
sometimes there's some wisdom

in bringing in a professional
that's willing

to go in
in any kind of conditions.

I think what we're gonna do
is reach out to Mike,

get him on board
and then continue the search.

-Yeah. Sure.
-Great idea.
I think that's a good idea.

I decided to bring in
Mike Nelson.

He's a professional diver.

He's real accustomed
to these types of waves.

Because right now the stakes
have never been higher.

We're pushing weather.
We've got bad weather

coming in-- we need to find

that gold on the bottom
of Lake Michigan.

Well, guys,
we definitely got a plan.

Let's just make double sure

everything's ready
for this dive.

Yeah. We will.

Gentlemen...

let's go find some gold.

KEVIN:
So, you're good to dive?

MIKE:
Yeah, we just got

to head out there,
you show me where we're going.

NARRATOR: Two days
after the team's meeting

in Muskegon, Kevin Dykstra has
traveled some 120 miles north

to the city of Frankfort

to resume the team's investigation on Lake Michigan.

Joining him is professional diver Mike Nelson.

You know, Al and I
always dive together,

but we're just not comfortable
with getting

this late in the year
and the waves

as large as they are.
We tried last year

to get in
when the waves were bad,

and I ended up on an ambulance.

-Oh, wow.
-It's just...

it's just too risky for us.

Yeah, I mean,
this time of year is notorious

for shipwrecks in Lake Michigan,
from what I've learned.

About 5,000 plus.

-So totally makes sense.
-And you're really comfortable

-with the rough seas, diving?
-Oh, yeah.

I've dove all up and down
the West Coast.

Oregon's pretty cold
in the winter.

Alaska's gnarly, but...

Um, yeah, I'll be fine.

And I understand the waves here
are a little different.

It's not sets, it's cross-chops,
so your boat's...

-How is your captain?
-Um, the captain is really good.

He's very good at keeping
the boat into the wind.

Our biggest concern is,
like I say, the waves, and...

on the flip side, if these waves
are too big and you're not,

-then don't do it.
-Definitely.

I'm pretty excited to go...
go treasure hunting.

So you... do you
still want to do the dive?

-You still want to go?
-Oh, I'm on board.
I'm all yours.

This sounds great.

KEVIN: You know,
we would never be diving

this time of year, because
the weather getsoo bad.

But to have Mike Nelson here,
he kind of extends our season,

and we're very optimistic

about finding that gold.

-That's the boat?
-Yeah, that's the boat

-right there.
-Wow, that's a great setup.

And the sonar that's on it
is unbelievable.

-Oh, really?
-The pictures we get

-off of the bottom are so nice.
-Nice. I'm excited to see.

KEVIN:
Yeah, it does everything
it needs to do.

MIKE:
Nice.

The harbor looks calm,
but I have a feeling

-once we get out there...
-Yeah. We'll-we'll see

what it's really like
when we get out there.

KEVIN:
The conditions
on Lake Michigan worsen

in the later part of the year.

The waves get bigger.

The frequency gets
closer together.

It could easily wash somebody
over the side of the boat.

-KEVIN: Hey, guys.
-Hey.
-Hey.

NARRATOR:
Assisting in today's operation

are Kevin's brother Al,

Frederick J. Monroe,

who is also
a certified divemaster,

and boat captain
Luke Springstead.

Mike comes to us
with a lot of experience.

He's dealt
with these huge waves, and...

he can handle them
a whole lot better than we can.

-You ready?
-Oh, this is gonna be fun
out there.

Yeah, we don't look
at it as fun.

-But, um, it sure got cold.
-Yeah. Yeah, it did.

Holy smokes!

-Winter is here.
-MIKE: Yeah, definitely here.

I'm glad I have my dry suit,
'cause it's, uh,

probably gonna be
in the 40s at depth.

So I'll be nice and toasty.

-KEVIN: Excellent, excellent.
-Yeah.

All right, let's get underway.

♪

MIKE:
So, what target area
are we heading to right now?

Well, we had
a real interesting target

-from Brian Abbott.
-Okay.

NARRATOR:
Over the past several months,

Kevin and his team,
with the help

of underwater imaging expert
Brian Abbott,

have utilized
a sector scan sonar device

to create a detailed map
of an area

more than a mile from shore.

Four weeks ago,

after identifying several
potential target areas

for further investigation,

including
a square man-made structure

as well as a large
debris field to the north

containing numerous smaller
and, curiously,

rectangular objects,

the team discovered
what appeared to be

two sections
of a large structure

within the debris field

matching
the approximate dimensions

of a late 19th century boxcar.

BRIAN:
We dhave a target over here.

I'm not sure what it is.

NARRATOR:
It was in the same area,

one week earlier,
that team members

Jeff Zehr and Darren Dykstra

made yet another
astonishing discovery.

A rectangular-shaped object
that Kevin believes

might be an actual bar of gold
lying buried

under a layer of silt.

It looks like we might be able
to get a dive in today.

Yeah, it looks pretty rough out,
though. I mean, uh,

the waves are definitely
closer together here,

I'm noticing, than you
would have in the ocean,

so five-foot swell here or
six-foot swell here is, like...

-That's deadly.
-Yeah.

♪

KEVIN:
When we start taking
that boat away from the dock

and head out to the big lake,

that's when you start
to see those waves.

And once they start crashing
over that pier,

you really have to be
on your A game,

because they can tear you up
very quickly.

AL:
Geez! Look at these things.

Look at the size
of these things! Geez!

-I can't believe this is a lake.
-Yeah.

Hang on,
'cause it's gonna rock us.

KEVIN:
Over the last eight years,

Al and I and Fred, we've been
working on Lake Michigan, and...

and you're at its mercy,
there's no two ways about it.

So it doesn't matter what
your excitement level is.

It doesn't matter how bad you want to get out onto that site.

The lake rules
what you're gonna do.

And I'm totally worried
we're running out of time.

AL:
Holy moly!

KEVIN:
All right, hang on, guys.

-We got some rollers coming in.
-MIKE: Oh, boy.

It feels like a blender
right now.

-Yeah.
-Oh, yeah.

NARRATOR: Just off the coast
of Frankfort, Michigan,

Kevin Dykstra
and members of his team

are trying to navigate

the extremely rough waters
of Lake Michigan

in an attempt to locate
the remains of a sunken boxcar

and a reported $140 million

in stolen Confederate gold.

KEVIN:
What we want to do, Luke,

is we're gonna turn right here.

You're gonna come right
over the top

of that waypoint.
That's where Brian Abbott

got that sector scan target

and what looks like
those potential gold bars.

All right.

NARRATOR:
Although the sector scans
obtained

by Brian Abbott have provided
Kevin and his team

a detailed map
of their intended search area

within the debris field,

the seasonally rough waters
are shifting

and altering the bottom
of the lake on a daily basis.

This means
that the GPS coordinates

of the mysterious objects
below,

including the structure they discovered four weeks ago,

offer only an approximate guide

for the team to use in
their attempt to locate them.

How far out are we?

-Oh, about a mile or so.
-About a mile?

-Okay. That's not bad.
-Yeah, so-so we got
probably five,

-ten minutes to get out there.
-Okay.

It is Kevin's hope
that diver Mike Nelson

will be able to pinpoint
the target areas

and precisely mark
their exact location.

Well, we had a real interesting
target from Brian Abbott

that we found
with the sector scan.

-He said it was about 11 feet
by seven feet.
-By seven.

We felt that that could be
a part of a boxcar.

-Oh, wow.
-Looks like

-two pieces.
-Oh, really?

-Yeah.
-Yeah. Yeah.

Due to the fact that late
19th century railroad boxcars

measured 36 feet long
by seven feet wide

and because the team
has obtained sonar scans

of not just one large object

but also a debris field
on the lake bottom,

it is Kevin's belief that the gold-heavy wooden structure

may have exploded upon impact
when it was reportedly

pushed off a ferry
over a century ago.

FRED:
I think we should have
the life jackets on.

KEVIN:
Yeah, that's probably
a good idea.

♪

You know, I'm very nervous at this point,

because this very well could be
the dive that determines whether

we can find gold
at the bottom of the lake.

So, if we have to push
the envelope

on the weather conditions
and the waves,

we're gonna do that.

Where are we at there, partner?

Well, we're pretty close.

We're... four seconds off
of it north.

No, if you can get us
to those numbers

that Brian gave you,
then I think we throw

-a dive buoy out there.
-Okay.

-I don't think
we'll be able to anchor.
-No.

I don't believe it for a minute.

How far away are we from it?

We're-we're right
in the general area.

Can you get a buoy ready
to throw?

-Yeah.
-Be ready on a minute's notice

-to just launch it in.
-All right.

All right.

Get us on the numbers,
Mr. Luke, and...

we'll mark some gold bars.

-[laughs]
-AL: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
Although the lake waters
are too rough

for Captain Luke Springstead
to anchor the boat,

in order to accurately mark
what is believed to be

the target position
for diver Mike Nelson...

-You all set, Al?
-Yep. I'm all set.

...the team will drop
a dive buoy

tied to a 12-pound weight.

Say when.

Chuck it.

[grunts]

All right.

So, it looks like it was
a successful deploy.

It didn't get tangled up
or anything.

So, what are you thinking, Mike?

Well, I think
I'm ready to suit up.

Is there anything else
we should, uh, cover?

I really would like you
to bring a camera down with you

to get some good clear video
of it,

-if you're able to find it.
-Oh, yeah. Totally.

The State of Michigan says
we can film all day long,

but we may not touch anything.

Okay. Perfect.

So, we'll be looking
for any kind of debris?

If you see any debris, film it.

Uh, make a mental note
on how big it is.

Get good video of it.

That's all we can ask for.

So, I think, if Al's down there
with the metal detector

and Mike's down there
with the camera,

we're gonna find them gold bars.

Okay. I'll keep you updated.
I'll-I'll make sure

to keep an open line
of communication the whole time.

-Good with you, Fred?
-Sounds perfect to me.

AL: Even though the weather is bad,

I get to join Mike on the dive.

I will be following right beside
Mike with the metal detector.

He's gonna have the dive line
and the camera,

and I will just be following him
with a metal detector.

Well, I think
I'm gonna get my wet suit on.

-All right.
-MIKE: I'm glad
I have my dry suit.

Definitely want to stay warm.

-Should we go get changed?
-Let's do it, man.

NARRATOR:
Because the temperature
of the lake is currently

just above 50 degrees
Fahrenheit,

Mike Nelson, who is prepared

to remain below longer
if necessary,

will be diving in what is known as a dry suit.

This not only prevents
water from touching his skin

but also allows him to wear
a layer of insulating clothing

that will keep him warm
and avoid

potentially deadly conditions
such as hypothermia.

Mike, the minute you go
in that water,

you report to me, talk to me,

and let me know
when you get to the bottom.

During the operation,

Mike and Al will also wear full face masks,

allowing them to stay
in constant communication

with team divemaster

Frederick J. Monroe.

You good?

I'm good, man.

All right.
I'm concerned

that there's gonna be
a pretty big surge.

You know, when the lake
was this worked up,

the surges always follow.

So just keep your wits
about you.

My advice to you
is to surface and descend

as quickly as you can, safely.

-Got it?
-Yep.
-Sounds like a plan.

You guys ready to get
in the water?

-I'm ready.
-All right.

You know, every step of the way
in this project,

nothing's been easy.

It's always a struggle.

No matter what you do,
y-you're fighting equipment.

You're fighting the boat.

You're fighting the weather.

It's not enough of a struggle

to make us give up,

but am I ever glad that I brought Mike Nelson out here,

'cause he's comfortable
in these conditions.

You feeling good, brother?

Yep.

This might be
our only chance, Al.

It's getting rough.

So, you know,
metal detect as much as you can,

as fast and effectively
as you can.

All right,
your comms are plugged in.

Soon as you get in the water,

make sure you got air
in the vest.

Looks like you do.
Um, I want a comms check

as soon as you get in.

We know there's gold out there,

so we're gonna exhaust
every option to get out there

and find what's
on the bottom of that lake.

Come hell or high water,
we're gonna find that gold.

You good?

All right. Be safe, man.

Come on, Mike.

Let's get you in.

Your surface valve is closed,
so you're gonna go right down.

Get over there to Al
as fast as you can.

Give me a radio check.

Keep an eye on my brother, man.

Both divers are in.

Please confirm
when you reach the bottom.

NARRATOR: Off the coast
of Frankfort, Michigan,

Kevin Dykstra
and members of his team,

along with professional diver
Mike Nelson,

are searching
for a mysterious structure,

along with a number
of small rectangular objects,

which they believe
could be the remains

of a 19th century boxcar
reported to contain

$140 million
in stolen Confederate gold.

How far is the visibility?

KEVIN:
That's like searching
in a closet.

Mm-hmm.

When the visibility
is so short,

we could be right next
to those gold bars

and not even see 'em.

NARRATOR:
In order to ensure
that they are performing

a thorough investigation
of the lake bottom,

Mike and Al begin what is known as a circular search.

Securing themselves with rope,

which is connected to the buoy
weight on the lake bottom,

Mike and Al will swim in a perfectly circular pattern

that becomes larger
with each pass.

What do you see down there?

[filtered breathing]

Since they've been down already,
the waves have picked up.

-They're a foot taller.
-I'm thinking this is gonna be

the on dive
we're gonna get in today.

Can I see that?

Mike, do you copy?

Do not go any further than
50 feet from that dive line.

This is just an educated guess,

but I'm gonna say to the north.

If you have to go anywhere,
go north.

[steady beeping]

[rapid beeping]

-Yes.
-Hit! He got a hit!

Oh, my God, we're going for it!

NARRATOR:
Al Dykstra has just found

a non-ferrous object,

meaning
that it contains no iron

and might be made
of silver or possibly gold.

Follow the gold trail.
Come on!

Talk to me!

What are you seeing?

[beeping]

Unfortunately,

the non-ferrous object
that Al found

is nothing more
than a so-called cannonball,

or lead weight,
used by fishermen

to drag bait
across the lake bottom.

That's nothing to get excited
about unless it's gold!

Copy.

AL:
It's very frustrating,

especially when,
as I'm metal detecting,

I actually do get
a non-ferrous hit.

But as I just hand-fanned it,

it turned out
to be a cannonball.

It's lead, so it has

the exact same signature
as gold.

FRED:
Air check.

NARRATOR:
What started out
as an exciting dive operation

has become one
of major frustration.

Let us know
when you're going to ascend.

You've been sucking
a lot of air,

and you've been down a while.

FRED:
Copy that.

Well, evidently,
we were in the wrong spot.

Or we could've been
very close to it,

but we couldn't quite see it

because the visibility
was about three feet.

KEVIN:
It's a bitter pill,
but the lake is in charge.

AL:
The visibility was...

-So bad?
-So bad. Like, three feet.

We were doing
these humongous circle sweeps,

and the only thing I got
was a cannonball.

I got a little excited.

That was a non-ferrous hit
I was getting.

KEVIN:
We heard you.

I don't know, guys.

These whitecaps are picking up.
The wind is getting worse.

The small craft advisory
is taking place

in less than an hour.

We're gonna have
to get off the lake.

It's discouraging not hearing

Mike come across the radio
saying,

"I have found gold bars,"

but it's not surprising.

We've been defeated
on this lake many times,

but that doesn't mean
that we're gonna stop.

We're gonna keep searching for this gold until we find it.

NARRATOR:
Early the next morning...

KEVIN:
So, you up for this?

...Kevin Dykstra
and members of his team,

along with diver Mike Nelson
and Captain Luke Springstead,

return to Lake Michigan

to resume
their search operation.

KEVIN:
You might have to do
some circles around to find it,

but I'll do my best
to get you right on top of it.

NARRATOR:
Although current
weather conditions

are calmer
than the previous day,

the water temperature
of the lake

has dropped
more than ten degrees,

meaning it is
just above freezing.

Because of this,

diver Mike Nelson

will be performing
today's search operation

by himself.

You're gonna go
to the dive ball,

go straight down the line

and then go to the west
about 150 feet.

Boat to Mike.
Talk to me, please.

Mike, are you on the bottom?

Copy that.

If he goes straight west
100 to 150 feet,

he stands a good chance of-of
seeing it on his way over there.

Are you staying warm?

Any chills?

10-4. Thank you.

Now, Fred,
he-he's got two tanks.

Those are two 100s,

-so he could be down there
for a while.
-Correct. Yes.

At the depth he's diving,
he has a good hour.

Yeah.

FRED:
Copy that.

[laughs]

I like your enthusiasm.

KEVIN:
You know, I think
the way these waves

have been worked up
for the last few days,

that's probably why
the visibility

-is so bad down there.
-For sure it is. Yep.

When the waves get worked up,
the visibility diminishes.

Yeah, you could be 20 feet away
from your target

and never even know it.

Yep.

Are you having a hard time

keeping the boat in position,
Luke?

-We're kind of doing
a touch and go.
-Back and forth?

-Yeah.
-KEVIN: All right. Well,
you're doing a good job so far,

-so keep it up, man.
-LUKE: Thank you.

KEVIN:
How long has he
been down now, Fred?

FRED:
He's been down 45 minutes now.

I would've thought
he would've been on it by now.

He had to go 100 to 150 feet

before he could
start searching, so...

-AL: Sure.
-FRED: He's dealing

-with some serious currents.
-KEVIN: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
Although the team has the approximate GPS coordinates

for the mysterious structure
and debris field,

strong currents
and low visibility

can be disorienting and prevent even the most experienced diver

from finding objects
in deep water.

Can you try to get him
on the radio?

FRED:
Boat to Mike. How are you doing?

FRED:
Copy that. Thank you.

10-4. Thank you.

NARRATOR:
Although Kevin and his team

believe they are
in the general area

where they previously spotted
possible gold bars,

low visibility is undermining
Mike Nelson's search efforts.

He will now scan the area

by once again swimming
in a circular pattern

in the hopes
of locating evidence

of the boxcar and gold
at the bottom of the lake.

FRED:
He's been down one hour now.

Mike, what is your PSI pressure
in your tank?

FRED:
Copy that. You're getting low.

At 500, you've got to come up.

That's when I start
getting nervous.

-Yeah.
-KEVIN: When I get down
to 1,500,

I feel like I got
to constantly keep an eye on it.

Yep.

Copy that.

KEVIN:
You know, these conditions

that we brought Mike in
to dive are bad.

I was hoping that this
isn't gonna be another defeat,

but it might be.

-Think it's getting windier.
-KEVIN: Yeah.

Can you nose us into the waves?

-This is gonna kill us here.
-Okay.

FRED:
He's been down 70 minutes.

He needs to c-consider
the decompression at this point.

Mike, I need to know
your air pressure,

and do you realize
you've been under over an hour?

[loud radio static]

Mike?

Boat to diver.

Boat to Mike?

Talk to me, please.

[radio static]

Mike, what are you seeing
down there?

I think I found
what you guys are looking for.

NARRATOR:
It is an exciting moment

for Kevin Dykstra
and his team...

...as professional diver
Mike Nelson

has just made what could be
an incredible discovery

at the bottom of Lake Michigan.

What are you seeing, Mike?

Oh.

Are you getting footage
of what you're seeing?

NARRATOR:
Although Mike is able to fan

the sand with his hands
around the object,

as well as take video of it,
without a permit,

he cannot pick up
or even touch it.

What are you looking at?

[all laugh]

KEVIN:
All right.

Copy that.
We'll be here to pick you up.

You know,
as I hear Mike on the comm

describe exactly what
we've been looking for,

this is massive.

I wanted to suit up instantly

and get down there
and see what he's found.

NARRATOR:
After making
several decompression stops

on his way to the surface,

diver Mike Nelson is ready
to board the boat

for a much anticipated
debriefing

with Kevin and the team.

AL:
Oh, here he comes.
Here he comes.

-KEVIN: Here he comes.
-AL: Yep.

KEVIN:
Al, jump back there
and grab him.

Luke, you got to back up
to him, man. Come on.

NARRATOR:
It is becoming
a tense situation

as the dangerously rough waters of the lake

are making it
extremely difficult

for the team
to get diver Mike Nelson

out of the water

and back on the deck
of the boat.

KEVIN:
All right, kill the prop.

LUKE:
Prop killed.

AL:
He's on the ladder.

KEVIN:
Ooh, he's getting beat up
down there.

-These waves
are getting bad, Al.
-AL: Yeah.

We need to get him in the boat

-and get out of here.
-KEVIN: Hang on.

I'm very nervous at this point

because when that dive ladder
is going up and down

four, five, six foot,

it's like trying to catch
a freight train.

Well?

You guys are gonna want
to see this.

I've never seen
something like this before,

but it's what I think
a-a gold bar

-would look like.
You got to see this.
-Seriously?

-KEVIN: Get that camera up here.
-Oh, my gosh.

We got to go review this, man.

Hang on to that camera.

When you called me out here,
I didn't expect this.

The visibility cleared up
pretty good for us down there

-for that dive.
-Did it?

Of course, right at the end
of my tank.

KEVIN:
How much air you got left?

We were about, I don't know,
250 after coming back up.

-Woah! Holy mackerel.
-You're kinda cutting it
way too close.

I cut it close,
but I had to get those shots.

-What did it look like?
-Like a gold brick.

I kept finding more and more,
but I had to get up.

KEVIN:
Let's grab that dive buoy.

I want to get back
to watch that footage.

AL:
Yeah, so do I.

Nice job, man.

♪

-AL: I'm excited.
-KEVIN: Oh, man.

NARRATOR:
Within hours of their exciting

dive operation
in Lake Michigan,

Kevin Dykstra
and the team gather

at the nearby
Frankfort Fire Station

to review the footage obtained

by professional diver
Mike Nelson.

I'm excited
'cause Mike's excited.

I think you guys are gonna be
pretty interested

once you see this footage.

All right.
Let me pull it up here.

AL:
That is nice footage.

It is. It's clear.

Yeah, very clear.

-W-What is that coming up?
-Oh, yeah. Look at there.

FRED:
What is that?

AL:
Holy crap.

-No freaking way.
-MIKE: Mm-hmm.

-That looks like
a gold bar to me.
-Mm-hmm.

AL:
That's crazy.

Holy crap!

KEVIN:
When we reviewed that footage,

and I'd seen
what looked like gold bars

on the bottom of the lake,

that's exactly
what I had envisioned,

was gold bars, scattered
about the bottom of the lake.

And that's what he's showing me.

I think Mike has found what
we've been looking for.

Look at them all!

Yep, they're all over.

So h-how many did you see total?

I counted something,
four or five.

About what you're seeing
right there.

Holy cow.

AL:
I can't believe it.

NARRATOR:
Numerous gold bars?

Could Kevin and his team
have finally found

some $140 million

in stolen Confederate gold
that was reportedly dumped

into Lake Michigan more than
a century ago?

KEVIN:
I was kind of surprised

because the gold bar
that we found last season

and the gold that we found
this season

are not in the same area.

This just does not
look familiar at all.

We're just fingers crossed that this is all gonna pay off.

Look at the sand ripples

and look at how that bar
is right in the ripple.

-It's buried.
-That's what I mean.

I think there's a lot more
that we're not seeing.

-This is amazing.
-AL: Yeah, I know.

Good job. Good job, Mike.

Thank you.
I'm really excited about it.

We need to get this to Marty.

I think I'm gonna send this
to Marty

-in an e-mail right now.
-Okay.

-KEVIN: I think that's
the best thing to do.
-AL: Absolutely.

KEVIN:
While I get this sent to Marty,

would you guys mind
filling them tanks?

Getting them ready to go?

-Sure. We can do that.
-Yeah, not a problem.

-Can go right now.
-All right.

It's very exciting to know that
eight years' worth of research

could be true right now.

To see gold on the bottom
of Lake Michigan,

I'm really eager
to get Marty's opinion.

[line ringing]

MARTY:
Hello?

KEVIN:
Hey, Marty.

Kevin, I got your e-mail.
What am I looking at?

-Open that attachment.
-Yeah.

KEVIN:
Mike Nelson, a diver with us,

came back with this footage

from the bottom of the lake,

and, uh, we needed to get it
to you right away.

Okay. Hang on a minute.
It'll take a second.

ALEX:
Here we go.

MARTY:
Oh, man.

Am I seeing what I think
I'm seeing here?

KEVIN:
This is very compelling
footage.

MARTY:
Unbelievable.

NARRATOR:
In Frankfort, Michigan,

treasure hunter Kevin Dykstra,
along with his brother Al,

have just sent video footage

to Marty and Alex Lagina

of what could be
an incredible discovery.

They may have just found
the resting place

of millions
in lost Civil War gold

on the bottom of Lake Michigan.

MARTY:
Wow.

Am I seeing what I think
I'm seeing here?

I mean, it's amazing.

They look like bars, don't they?

They're the right shape.

Kevin, it's real exciting.

I mean, I need an explanation
for all this.

Is this really
what I think it is?

Well, it looks like gold bars

just laying on the bottom
of the lake.

They damn sure do.

-Unbelievable.
-[Alex chuckles]

-Right at the end
of the year, too.
-Yeah.

I mean, that is
really cool footage.

What else could
the bloody things be?

This footage is astounding.

I obviously got involved
'cause I thought

there was a possibility
this might work.

But most ventures like this,
in my experience,

you know, they're sort
of high risk, high reward.

It's just the nature
of the beast.

And then all of a sudden,

to see gold scattered
on the seafloor,

which is what he pitched,
you know,

it's-it's one of those
"too good to be true" moments.

But I don't know
what else to think,

but maybe they've done it.

It's amazing.

I take it you're going to send
another diver down,

maybe with a metal detector.

Tell me what your plan is.

Try and go back to the scene?

What-what-what are we gonna do?

Hopefully, the weather
will calm down just a bit

because it's really worked up,

but we're getting our tanks
filled right now.

We're gonna get down there
with a metal detector.

If we get non-ferrous hits
on these bricks,

boy, that's gonna be
a sure telltale sign

that we have found that gold.

MARTY:
Actually,
that kind of reminds me.

If we had all our permits,

and I thought we had the permit,

why didn't he pick them up?

What's the deal with that,
Kevin?

You know, Marty,
legally we can't touch them.

All we can do
is get video of them.

We do not have
the-the full permit in hand.

We are working forward on that.

We've got the permit from
the State of Michigan,

but we're waiting on the one

from the Army Corps
of Engineers,

and unfortunately, we have
to have both permits

in hand, on the site

in order to do more
investigation.

Yeah, I mean, this is,
this is just maddening

to be that close and not be able
to pick that thing up.

ALEX:
Yeah. Yeah.

It feels amazing to know that
the state has given me

their permission to dig in
the bottom of Lake Michigan,

but it's very frustrating
that we don't have the permit

from the Army Corps
of Engineers.

We have never been
as close to that gold

as we are right now.

I feel that gold is just within inches of our hands.

We just can't touch it.

Well, get a diver back down

with a metal detector.
I mean, we need

to find this out before
the weather closes in on us.

KEVIN:
Yep. We're definitely
fing the weather.

That lake out there is brutal.

Those waves kick up, and-and...

Al and I just feel like it's
a little beyond our-our ability.

No, this is, this is...

-Bring in the guns?
-Yep. [laughs]

AL:
Yeah, the heavy hitters.

NARRATOR:
John Chatterton is one

of the most renowned divers and treasure hunters in the world.

With over 40 years
of experience searching

in the most extreme
underwater environments,

from shipwrecks,
such as the HMSTitanic,

to the 235-foot-deep borehole

on Oak Island, known as 10-X.

Last year,
after Kevin was injured

while attempting a dive
operation late in the season,

Marty arranged for John,

and his partner
Howard Ehrenberg,

to help the team locate
the debris field

and investigate
what they believed

could be a portion
of the legendary boxcar.

ALEX:
I'll give them a call
and see if they're available.

KEVIN:
That's great news, Alex. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

We'll all be praying
that they're available

and let us know as soon
as you get ahold of them.

ALEX:
Sounds good.

MARTY:
John and Howard are very good,

but weather is clearly
a risk factor at this point.

November, the fall,
late part of the season

on Lake Michigan
can be very nasty,

but you can't see the eagerness
in Kevin's eyes

and how genuine he is
and how enthused he is,

and not want him to succeed,
of course I do.

I would pursue
every avenue possible.

Get after it. This is really,
really quite exciting.

I mean, like you say,
it's almost

-too good to be true.
-Yep.

Get back down there and, I mean,

do what's-- whatever's legal,
let's do it.

I know we can metal detect,
so let's do that.

And-and you should be able

to distinguish ferrous
from non-ferrous.

I mean, you know, let's,
let's get back to the bottom.

Why aren't you underwater yet?

[laughter]

KEVIN:
All right, Marty.

-I'll be in touch, all right?
-Yeah. Bye.

NARRATOR: For Kevin Dykstra and his team,

a legend about a boxcar of gold

at the bottom of Lake Michigan
appears more than ever

to not only be a true story,
but also connected

to one of the most shocking
conspiracies

in American history.

Now, as their window
of opportunity

to confirm
an incredible discovery

is about to close for the year,

could millions in stolen
Confederate gold

still be within their reach?

Or will they find
that the forces

that have kept it hidden
for more than 150 years

are far from letting it go?

Next time on
The Curse of Civil War Gold...

-KEVIN: We're ready to go.
-Let's go find the gold.

NARRATOR:
...a special season finale.

KEVIN:
We're bringing in
the best divers.

AL:
Diver in the water.

You're right in the area
where the gold bars are.

-So, no gold.
-ALEX: We're not successful

in tracking them down.

We weren't in the right place.

KEVIN:
This could be
our very last chance

of finding that gold.

I told you
there was gold down there!

Subtitled by Diego Moraes
www.oakisland.tk