The Curse of Oak Island (2014–…): Season 5, Episode 16 - Seeing Red - full transcript
With little time before the team must suspend operations for the harsh winter ahead, the fellowship battles the shifting tides of Smith's Cove and finds evidence that may support one of Dan Blankenship's early theories.
NARRATOR: Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...
You did work out
in Smith's Cove.
DAN B.: That was put in
by the original people.
RICK: There are pictures,
there are measurements,
but no one has been able
to solve the mystery.
-Yeah.
-Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Whoa, whoa, whoa.
-It's right there.
-RICK: That's old. -MARTY:
That has a "45" cut in it.
MARTY:
This is a structure.
There's no doubt about that.
What the heck is this?
Look at that.
-That's a beauty. -Oh, wow.
Look at that! -MARTY: Wow.
GARY:
That is a bobby-dazzler.
MARTY:
That's a fantastic gemstone.
-RICK: This is treasure.
-Congratulations, guys.
NARRATOR: There is an island
in the North Atlantic
where people have been looking
for an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.
So far, they have found
a stone slab
with strange symbols
carved into it,
mysterious fragments
of human bone,
and a lead cross whose origin
may stretch back
to the days
of the Knights Templar.
To date, six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
And, according to legend,
one more will have to die
before the treasure
can be found.
NARRATOR:
It is a new day on Oak Island.
One of the last before brothers
Rick and Marty Lagina
and members of their team must
suspend operations before
another long,
harsh winter sets in.
So, guys, you know,
we've discussed
our options in this new hole.
TERRY MATHESON:
Ooh!
NARRATOR:
So far this year,
although they have made
a number
of significant discoveries
at both the Money Pit site...
To me, it looks like wood.
-DR. XIANG YANG: It's bone.
It's bone.
-NARRATOR: ...and at
Smith's Cove... -Whoa! Whoa!
-Holy...
-Holy schmoly, all right.
It's a cross.
NARRATOR:
...the team remains frustrated
that efforts to locate
and retrieve
the so-called "Chappell Vault"
have been, so far,
unsuccessful.
Everybody's been close.
You can't help
but be close out there.
There were 44 shafts gone down.
If we actually find
the Chappell Vault
and there's something in it,
it's got to be one
of the greatest stories
ever written,
that all these people,
including us, missed.
So, close doesn't matter.
Close doesn't matter.
NARRATOR: Two weeks ago,
while drilling another
massive 60-inch-wide hole
at the Money Pit site,
the team from Irving Equipment,
Limited encountered
a large metal obstruction
at a depth of 77 feet.
Look at the state of that.
That's been chewed up.
11 out of 36, we ain't gonna
have no... teeth on it.
-We're gonna put the camera in.
-I'm on it!
Let's see what this thing is.
NARRATOR: After attempting
to drain the shaft,
water poured back in.
RICK:
Whoa!
-We're filling full of water!
-Pull it up!
NARRATOR:
...forcing the team
to call in
an experienced diver.
-That ain't good.
-Nope.
What is the can hung up on?
A steel plate?
A cast iron plate?
What's the problem?
Why can't we advance?
We've now rallied
to this consensus
that the best way
to come to an understanding
of what this obstruction is,
is to dive the can.
I think we've rounded
to the fact that
diving is the safest approach
at this point.
So, why don't we call
Mike Huntley,
-Sounds good to me. -All right.
Hopefully, he's ready,
willing and able.
-MIKE: Hello.
-Morning, Mike. -Morning, Mike.
-Hey, Mike.
-Morning, Mike. -GARY: Hi, Mike.
-Hey, Mike.
MIKE:
Hey, guys, how's it going?
-Good. -Good.
-Good, Mike.
NARRATOR:
During the last two years...
...Mike Huntley has been
instrumental in helping
the team in their search
efforts in the Money Pit area.
Three seconds to chair. Over.
Go to chair.
He can leave that sample bag
down there.
Leave the bag there. Get
yourself in the chair. Over.
So, imagine this.
We're on Oak Island,
and we have a problem,
-which you can help us with.
-RICK:
We have undertaken another,
um, hole, with the oscillator.
So, from surface, it would be
77 feet to bottom hole location.
But, here's the...
here's the problem.
Here's what we need you...
need you to assess.
We tried oscillating
the can down.
We hit
a significant obstruction.
And they deduced from that that
they were on significant metals.
They felt it was plate steel.
They could not get through it,
and the chisel--
it's an 8,300-pound
hardened alloy steel chisel--
that actually broke
in several places.
Uh, Charles,
there's nothing down there
-that's indicated by the
archival record? -MIKE: Okay.
No, Mike, this is
what's so strange about it.
There shouldn't be metal
at that level.
I've never read anything,
anywhere
that says there was metal
at this depth.
Certainly, of this thickness
that they can't
get through with the oscillator.
So, we were wondering
if you would be interested
in conducting this dive
to determine
the extent of the obstruction,
and also, is it plate steel?
-RICK: Appreciate it.
-CHARLES: Yeah.
Um, is there anything
we would need,
on our end, to provide to you?
60 inches.
And so, go down,
you'd investigate it,
determine the width
and breadth of it,
uh, perhaps get an understanding
of how thick it is,
uh, is there a concavity to it?
Um...
Basically, determine
its physical dimensions.
So, we all want answers.
This is...
this is
a very strange situation.
RICK:
Mike's been here before.
He's invested in the process.
I mean,
he wants answers
just like the rest of us.
He's enthusiastic
about getting down in that can
and giving us a proper
explanation of what we're on.
-As always, we appreciate it.
-Yeah.
-ALEX: Thanks, Mike.
-Thanks, Mike.
Thanks, Mike.
We'll be in touch.
Yup.
NARRATOR: While the team
from Irving Equipment Limited
disassembles the massive
drilling equipment
in preparation for the upcoming
dive operation
in the D.M.T. shaft...
...Rick and Marty Lagina,
along with Dave Blankenship,
Charles Barkhouse
and metal detection expert
Gary Drayton,
are preparing for a new
and more extensive
search for clues
at Smith's Cove.
I'm in my element here.
So, what's going on?
We're going... we're going
to come out here.
NARRATOR: It was here that
just four weeks ago...
GARY:
Holy schmoly, all right!
NARRATOR: ...Rick and Gary
made what could be
the most important discovery
in the history of Oak Island:
a small lead cross.
A cross that is
almost an exact match
for one carved into the wall
of a 14th century prison
in Domme, France by members
of the Knights Templar.
MARTY:
I was ready to put an "X"
through Smith's Cove last year,
but bottom line, a lead cross
came out of that area.
And it could be
very ancient indeed.
RICK:
The search continues to evolve.
Who knows how many more crosses
or items of interest,
uh, may surface?
I'd say we set up right here.
-Right here.
-Okay.
NARRATOR:
Now it is the team's hope
that by expanding their search
in the area where
the cross was found,
they may unearth more clues--
and possibly treasure--
connected to this
incredible artifact.
We're under a time crunch here.
You don't want to be out here
-when the tide comes back.
-No, I don't.
All right, well, let's do it.
NARRATOR:
While the tide remains low,
the team will be able
to conduct their excavation
without the assistance
of any kind of dam.
But they will have to act fast,
as it won't be long before
the water rises
and covers the entire area.
It's gonna get real tricky,
-real fast.
-RICK: I know.
NARRATOR: While Marty uses
the excavator to dig,
Gary scans the spoils
for any potential
metal clues...
and perhaps
more valuable artifacts.
-RICK: Stop!
-CHARLES: Whoa.
Come up.
NARRATOR: ...brothers Rick
and Marty Lagina-- along with
members of their team--
have just encountered
an unusual object.
Uh! I got it.
Yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Come up.
It's right there.
Something there, he tagged
something right there.
Want a shovel?
RICK:
That's old.
That is old.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
CHARLES: There's wood
all through there, Rick.
RICK:
Yup.
MARTY:
This is a structure.
There's no doubt about that.
NARRATOR:
A wooden structure?
Buried beneath the rocks
at Smith's Cove?
Last year, while working
with archeologist
Laird Niven to uncover evidence
of possible box drains
at Smith's Cove,
the Oak Island team unearthed
a French drain:
an ancient kind of
rock formation used
to control the flow of water.
Laird, I'm going to put you
on the spot, now.
Man
-I believe so, yeah.
-Wow.
NARRATOR:
Could this piece of wood
be part of the original
flood tunnel system
that many believe was
constructed centuries ago
to hide something of
incredible value on Oak Island?
CHARLES:
Anything, Gary?
Just some modern stuff.
CHARLES:
Tide's rising, boys!
RICK: Look, we don't have
a lot of time right now.
-It's 5:00.
-It's 5:00...
-and that is low tide right now.
-It's gonna start...
it's gonna start coming in.
So, we could try digging.
At least they could get a look
at this piece of timber.
Try it real quick,
but you're right,
-we don't have much time.
-RICK: I know. Do it.
NARRATOR:
Because the tide
has started to rise,
every second counts
if the team is going to make
what could be
another important discovery.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
There's a post right there.
There's something
right there.
That has a "45" cut in it,
so it's not driftwood, right?
RICK:
No.
Rick, do you think that piece,
that did come out
is part of
the U
It almost has to be, right?
Could be.
NARRATOR:
A "U
In the early 1970s,
while searching for the remains
of the flood tunnel system,
Dan Blankenship and
his partner, David Tobias,
constructed a large cofferdam
made of earth
and small boulders,
completely surrounding
Smith's Cove.
After pumping the water out of
the cove, Dan and his team
of workers began excavating.
Although they were unsuccessful
in locating evidence
of the stone box drains,
they did discover
a nearly 65-foot-long
U-shaped wooden structure
near the westernmost
point of the cove.
Upon closer examination,
they found curious notches
every four feet
with Roman numerals
carved next to them--
a numbering system
widely used by Europeans
from the time of
the Ancient Roman Empire
all the way up through
the Middle Ages to 1500 AD.
Unfortunately, before
Dan Blankenship and his team
could complete their
investigation of Smith's Cove,
a severe storm
destroyed the cofferdam
and flooded the cove, leaving
the "U-shaped structure"
a mystery that has remained
to this day.
RICK:
Is that axe
CHARLES:
Yeah.
Water's coming up.
We're not going
to be able to do this.
Not on this scale.
Yeah, I'm getting
a little concerned here.
NARRATOR:
Although the rising tide
has forced the team to suspend
their operations
at Smith's Cove,
they are excited to have found
what could be physical evidence
of the mysterious
"U-shaped structure."
RICK:
If it is original,
by its design, by its use,
the type of construction,
perhaps a carbon date...
I was hoping that that would be
the one thing, the one piece
of irrefutable evidence
that men were here
undertaking a large-scale
project long, long ago.
We have the piece that has
a clear "45" cut on it, right?
So, we got
our carbon dating piece.
Yeah, it's definitely axe-cut.
Look, if it comes back 1400
or something...
-Well, then we're laughing.
-No, then we're...
Then it's worth maybe
coming out here
-and doing a sheet-piling deal,
find out what we got. -Yeah.
We've now acquired
a proper sample.
If that structure comes back
1400, 1500, 1600,
I think then
we set ourselves a new task,
and that is
to properly expose the structure
and determine its use.
I'm getting out of here
before I have to swim out.
DAVE:
I'm going with you, Marty.
MARTY:
Okay, David.
NARRATOR:
Later that same day...
-DAN B.: Come on in.
NARRATOR: ...Rick Lagina
and Charles Barkhouse decide
to follow up on their discovery
at Smith's Cove
with a visit to the home
of veteran Oak Island treasure
hunter Dan Blankenship.
-Sit down.
-RICK: Thank you.
NARRATOR: At 94 years old,
Dan has spent more
than half a century working to
solve the 223-year-old mystery.
His extensive experience
and discoveries
on the island
make him an invaluable resource
and senior advisor to Rick,
Marty and the Oak Island team.
You did work out in Smith's
Cove, and you did a lot of work.
-Yeah, we did quite
a bit of work there. -Right.
It's always been a curiosity
of mine.
-And Charles, you can speak
to it more than I. -Yeah.
CHARLES: I've always been
very curious about
the so-called "U-shaped
structure" that you found, Dan.
-Yeah. That was in '71.
-Yeah.
Dan, do you remember this?
I believe that's you, Dan,
right there.
DAN B.: And that's the U-shaped
structure that we found there.
RICK:
Right.
It was a pretty big structure,
wasn't it? A massive structure.
-Oh, yes.
-Yeah, I mean, look at the size.
-Yeah. -You can gain perspective
by looking at yourself.
Look at how big that timber is.
It's massive.
DAN B.:
Huge logs
that must have been better
than 24 inches in diameter.
CHARLES:
Wow.
DAN B.:
In my opinion, that log would
definitely still be there.
-We didn't try and remove it.
-RICK: So,
it wasn't a beam on top
of a beam on top of a beam?
It wasn't a wall.
That was just one log structure?
-Yeah. -What exactly
did you think it was?
I don't know. I never did come
up with a definitive answer.
At the time we dug it up,
I always felt that was put in
by the original people.
There are pictures,
there are photographs,
there are measurements,
but no one has been able
to articulate
what that structure's
purpose was.
So, the hope is that
we may be able to do that.
Well, I do know this.
I have interest in trying to
come to some sort of certainty
as to its purpose
and who might have done it.
It'd be good to confirm
-that was original.
-Yes.
NARRATOR:
If the section of wooden beam
that was found earlier today
at Smith's Cove
can be carbon-dated
to some time before 1750,
then it might very likely be
part of a structure believed
to have been built
on Oak Island
by the original depositors.
But what was it they deposited?
Gold?
Jewels?
Pirate treasure?
Or was it something
of even greater value?
Something that required an
elaborate system of booby traps
and flood tunnels
in order to prevent it
from ever being discovered.
Well, one way or another,
we'll get to the bottom of that.
-I'll try to make it happen.
-Yeah, okay. I like that.
Good luck.
NARRATOR: While awaiting
the carbon dating results
from the sample taken
from the U-shaped structure,
Rick Lagina,
Dave Blankenship
and Charles Barkhouse
travel more than 50 miles north
to the town
of Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
DAVE: I think we're going
right there.
CHARLES: There we go.
We're-we're right here.
It's a nice house.
NARRATOR:
They have arranged
to meet with the descendants
of one of the men
who worked with Oak Island
treasure hunter
Robert Dunfield
more than 50 years ago.
Let me introduce you
to the rest of the family.
RICK: Harold Bishop's grandson
called Charles and indicated
to Charles that he had
an artifact from the island.
He felt it was
of sufficient interest
that we should come and visit.
So, we called you about the
piece that my grandfather found
when he was working
on the island.
-Okay. -He was the crane
operator or bucket operator.
-Okay, that definitely would be
Dunfield then. Yes. -TROY: Yeah.
NARRATOR:
In 1965,
California geologist
turned treasure hunter,
Robert Dunfield,
came to Oak Island,
determined to recover the
Chappell Vault first reported
by William Chappell
and Frederick Blair in 1897.
In what is still to this day
the largest excavation of
the Money Pit ever attempted,
Dunfield and members
of his team--
which included
crane operator Harold Bishop--
dug a massive 100-foot wide
and 143-foot deep hole.
Unfortunately, Dunfield's
operation was no match
for the believed
booby-trapped flood tunnels.
The hole caved in
just a few feet
from the Chappell Vault's
reported depth,
and Dunfield and his team left
empty-handed.
Or so everyone thought.
Our family connection really
intrigues us
to want to know more
of the story
and want to see what happens
and how things evolve
on the island.
Yeah, and thought maybe you
might be interested in seeing,
-you know, what he brought home.
-CHARLES: Well, yeah.
We'd love to see it.
Here it is.
CHARLES: It's a pretty thick
piece of wood.
RICK:
It's certainly very interesting.
CHARLES: So, this actually came
out of the Money Pit area?
I believe
that's where it's from.
-CHARLES: From the excavation
that he was working with. -Yes.
-Yes.
-Wow.
-TROY: I believe
-he put the plaque on himself.
Oh, wow.
: Yeah.
-CHARLES:
Look how tight those grains are.
RICK:
Did he ever speculate
about what type of wood
this was?
LYNN:
I don't remember him saying,
but he seemed to think
that perhaps it might have been
part of a ship.
NARRATOR:
Wood
Found deep within
the Oak Island Money Pit?
Could it have come
from the same ship
that treasure hunter Fred Nolan
believed was deliberately sunk
and then buried in what is now
the Oak Island swamp?
If so, how did a portion
of that ship
happen to be buried deep
in the Oak Island Money Pit?
What I'm thinking, though,
it could be part of the rudder.
-For the slots in here
for moving back and forth, Rick.
'Cause it'd be thick enough.
'Cause they're fairly
substantial.
See the... that would be the...
Oh, there's a dowel.
LYNN:
A dowel or a nail.
-A nail. No, it's a nail.
It's a nail.
-Right there. And there was one
right here, too. -LYNN: Yeah.
RICK: To me, it looks...
it definitely looks
-like a square nail. -Yep.
No. It is.
It's square.
That nail is interesting
-because if it's brass
or bronze... -Yes.
...uh, early bronze nails
is what they used on ships.
I found eight pages
of what looks like a ship's log.
NARRATOR:
A few weeks ago,
Oak Island researcher
Doug Crowell
presented the team
with a translation
of a ship's log
reported to have come
from a failed
French naval expedition in 1746
led by the duc d'Anville,
a descendant of a family
connected
to the Knights Templar.
"It has been agreed
that a deep pit be dug
and treasure securely buried."
In my mind, they're pointing
right to Oak Island.
Well, it's almost too perfect.
NARRATOR: Could this
mysterious piece of wood
be connected
to the duc d'Anville's mission
to bury a priceless treasure
in a pit
dug deep beneath the surface
of Oak Island?
RICK: The wood in and of itself
was interesting.
It was very thick-- probably
over three inches thick.
It had routered grooves in it
that could have been done
by hand
with a chisel and a hammer.
But to me,
the most interesting thing
was they had square-cut nails
in the corners
right outside
these mitered grooves.
So, there's a lot of information
on a little 12x12 piece of wood.
I guess it begs the question--
at least in my mind.
And, you know,
are you interested at all
in perhaps aging it?
Species identification
of the wood?
Uh, we could do
scanning electron microscope
-on the metals.
-On the nails. Yeah.
I think Dad would...
would really want that.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
To know more about it?
I think he would have loved
to have known more about it.
RICK:
The excitement is there
in that piece of wood.
We can analyze it.
We can have someone
render opinion about it.
But the disturbing aspect
of being presented these items
is how much more is out there?
Are there artifacts that we are
currently unaware of?
And that's really
what draws my attention
to these items.
-We want to say thank you.
-TROY: Thank you.
Thank you for reaching out.
Thank you for the stories.
Thank you for the interest.
RICK:
So, John, welcome back.
NARRATOR:
Three days after obtaining
a piece of the so-called
"U-shaped structure"
buried at Smith's Cove,
Rick Lagina
and members of the team
gather in the war room
to hear the results
of the scientific testing
conducted on the sample.
We did retrieve samples
from that structure
that's on the-the map.
I think you'll find
what we're about to do
interesting.
NARRATOR:
The team has also invited
geophysical engineer
John Wonnacott
to take part in the meeting.
John had conducted
a previous investigation
into the possible origin
of the U-shaped structure
more than 30 years ago
for Dan Blankenship,
although the results
were not definitive.
RICK: John has actually
retrieved a piece
of the U-shaped structure
in the past.
He obtained a piece
of the left arm,
if you will.
And aside from John
and Daniel Blankenship,
those are the only two people
who have ever seen
this structure.
Craig has the reports
on a piece we believe came
from the U-shaped structure.
I think we'll get them up here
on the line,
and see what Craig has to say.
This suld be interesting.
Hi, guys.
-Hey, guys.
NARRATOR: Joining the team
via videoconference,
from their offices
in Traverse City, Michigan,
are Rick's brother Marty,
and their friend and business
partner Craig Tester.
You guys have the reports
about the U-shaped structure.
We do.
And that's why John is invited.
He has a fascination with
that structure, as does Charles.
And also of particular interest,
the results of the wood
that Harold Bishop had found
in the Dunfield excavation.
Okay. So, the wood
that had the wormholes in it
ranges from 1684 to 1732.
So the-the second one,
the Dunfield wood,
is from 1646 to 1690.
So, you know, we found
a lot of things, it seems like,
this year,
that fit in that time period.
I think that the-- at least
the one probability curve
for the U-shaped structure
is very similar to the dates
we got from the human bones.
-CRAIG: Yeah, I sure do.
The Middle Eastern bone
is 1682 to 1736, so...
-That's virtually the same.
-Yeah.
NARRATOR:
The wood from Smith's Cove,
and the human bones found
earlier this year
at the Money Pit,
all dating
from before the mid
Could the Laginas and their
partners have finally found
physical evidence of human
activity on Oak Island
that proves that the legends
about an elaborate engineering
project being conducted
before 1750 are true?
And, if so, does that mean
they are closer than ever
to solving
the Oak Island mystery?
So what we're left with
is a big mystery.
I would have to say,
if we have the budget,
we should have another go
at that U-shaped structure
and actually unearth it.
I don't think
we've figured it out.
There's enough interest,
I think,
to expose it once and for all.
Oh, yeah. Part of the U-shaped
structure that you dug
had to be part of the south arm.
-Yes, it was.
-And that's smaller diameter.
I think it's really, very
interesting and very valuable,
in my opinion,
to get the base log exposed.
-Mm-hmm. -If we get a match
for the base log,
then we'll get a year.
And that would tell the tale.
RICK: With the proper permits
and the proper controls,
that will totally encompass
and allow us to excavate
and expose
the U-shaped structure.
It's gonna take
a new cofferdam to do it.
Um...
-And a bigger one.
-And a bigger one.
It just means
that we're probably
not going to do it this year,
because we have to recamp
and rethink about it.
Okay, guys, look, you know,
U-shaped structure, not busted.
-Not analyzed, either.
We need to do
a little more work.
Well, we definitely need
a battle plan
if we're gonna go after it.
-All right. Good job, guys.
-See you.
-RICK: See you.
-DAVE: Take care.
RICK:
Okay.
NARRATOR:
With three days remaining
until the team's dive operation
at the Money Pit...
RICK:
Give me my tools.
...Rick Lagina and metal
detection expert Gary Drayton
have decided to investigate
an area on the island
that they believe might offer
some important clues: Lot 8.
We've come to realize
how important
metal detecting is,
in terms of furthering
the search.
And with the end of the year
fast approaching,
weather closing in,
the idea is to get out there
with Gary
and see what else
we can come up with.
RICK: I'd like to go in here
and do some metal detecting.
GARY: Yeah, that's good.
I'll turn it on.
NARRATOR: It was here,
just one week ago,
that the team unearthed
a remarkable find.
GARY:
Look at that.
-It's a little ornate...
-MARTY: Oh, my goodness.
GARY:
...lock plate?
NARRATOR:
A mysterious key plate,
one they believe
could be connected
to the 18th century
Oak Island landowner
and privateer
Captain James Anderson.
RICK:
Pretty thick in there.
This place looks
like virgin ground.
RICK:
If you find something in here,
it's not going to be a pull tab.
GARY: Yeah, I know,
I have a feeling it isn't.
This is the quietest area
I've seen.
All it takes is one good signal.
That sounds good.
GARY:
Yeah, it does.
This is a bit bouncy.
I normally wouldn't
dig this, but...
...as I've got
a good digger with me.
See? That disappeared,
and then came back.
RICK:
Is that good or bad?
GARY:
I don't know.
GARY:
Oh.
Oh, there it is.
Something round.
Could it be a coin?
If it's a coin, it'd be
a good one, being that small.
Dab-nabbit.
I can feel a little...
-Yeah, a little tab on the back.
-RICK: That's what I thought.
-Yeah, it's a button.
Still in good condition
for a little cuff button.
Yeah, it's definitely...
looks like it's military.
RICK:
Oh, yeah.
-That's hard to date.
I'd say 1780 to 1820.
Straddles the beginning
of the search era.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: If the button
can be dated to sometime
between the late 1700s
to the early 1800s,
it was most likely left behind
by a former landowner
or perhaps one of the first
treasure hunters on Oak Island.
But if it is determined
to be from an earlier period,
could it have once belonged
to one of the men
who buried treasure here?
If you can find buttons,
you can find coins.
That's how it normally goes.
I'll dig up whatever you find.
All right, mate. So,
I was going this way, I think.
-Yeah.
See, there's some iron
around there.
That nearly tricked me.
I was going slow enough
to detect the good target
next to the iron.
RICK:
That sounds good.
-Oh, that's good,
that it's deeper.
RICK:
Mm-hmm.
What the heck is this?
Oh, I know what that would've
been. That would've been, like,
-a cameo brooch-type thing.
Yeah. Yeah.
-This could be really old.
-Mm-hmm.
NARRATOR: An ornate brooch
found in the area
where the team
recently discovered part
of a possible treasure chest?
So, a little bit of jewelry.
-I wonder if it's
in there still. -Yeah.
-I want to check the hole.
-Yeah.
-Yeah, I think so.
Okay.
You don't think there's
something that--
-Uh, could be anywhere.
The only way to know is
if we was to come back
with, like, a little sieve
and just a sifter.
-Yeah, and just dig it out.
-I'd leave the hole open,
so we know where it is.
All right,
I'll continue, will I?
That was weird. Look.
Look at this, Rick.
-We've got it. We've got it.
There was a bit of metal
in, uh, the thingy.
-Oh, wow! Look at that.
-Look at that. That's a beauty!
That is beautiful.
That bloody well is, isn't it?
Wow.
Look at how many facets on that.
GARY:
That is a bobby-dazzler.
That's gorgeous.
Now we know why we always
recheck the hole, don't we?
-Look at that.
-Oh, man.
It's cut. Look. It's cut.
The facets on it?
Yeah, look at that.
Yeah, it is!
Rick, we've just found a jewel.
-RICK: Wow.
-GARY: That's a beauty.
Look at how many facets on that.
NARRATOR:
While metal detecting on Lot 8,
Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton
have just made
what could be
a major historic discovery,
an object that looks to be
some sort of gemstone or jewel.
Wow, it is beautiful.
Look at the color on that.
Isn't that pretty?
That is fantastic.
That's gorgeous.
-GARY: This is exciting.
-Mm-hmm.
That is a beautiful thing.
Look at the colors in that.
Nice, rich, dark red.
Do you think that's a ruby?
NARRATOR:
A ruby?
Could Rick and Gary
have just found
a genuine piece
of antique jewelry?
But, if so, how old is it?
And how did it come
to Oak Island?
RICK:
A brooch with a ruby set in it?
We're both aghast.
I mean, could this be the first
sign of real treasure?
This, truly--
well and truly--
is a significant find.
There must be...
one, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
11, 12, maybe.
12 facets.
GARY:
Yeah, that's old. That's 1700s.
And remember, Rick,
back in the day,
you know,
they did things properly.
This is...
I mean, who would've worn that?
NARRATOR: If the deep red stone
is determined to be authentic,
it is likely one
of the first genuine pieces
of antique jewelry
to be found on Oak Island.
But was it brought here
as part of a pirate's treasure,
perhaps once belonging
to the 18th century privateer,
Captain James Anderson?
Or could it be of even greater
monetary or historical value?
In 1792,
as the French Revolution
reached its most violent
and bloody phase,
Queen Marie Antoinette
was facing a gruesome death
under the blade
of a guillotine.
Hoping to escape,
she employed one
of her servants
to smuggle her jewels out
of the castle,
in hopes they could be used
to purchase the queen's safety,
along with that of her family.
Unfortunately,
the plan didn't work.
Both Marie Antoinette
and her husband,
King Louis XVI, were executed.
Strangely, however,
the queen's jewels
were never found.
For years, rumors abounded
that the queen's servant
had secured passage on a ship
headed for North America
and that the queen's jewels
were buried somewhere
on Oak Island.
It was this theory
that attracted the attention
of a 27-year-old
treasure hunter
from Hyde Park, New York,
the future 32nd president
of the United States,
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
You know,
I've-I've long wondered
what compelled FDR
to become involved.
He was interested in the
Marie Antoinette connection,
the disappearance
of the French Crown Jewels.
We found one brooch
with a stone in it.
My mind went to the FDR belief,
but we never really
substantiated it.
Perhaps there's more information
to be gleaned.
You know, Gary, it's such
a remarkable find,
I think I should call
my brother, everyone up there.
Everybody should come down
and take a look at this.
I-It's just absolutely stunning
and beautiful.
Hey, Gary and I found something
and, uh, I think you guys will
be interested in seeing it.
Why don't you come down
and take a look?
Okay.
If it's a ruby, even if
it's a semiprecious stone,
this is treasure, as defined
by the treasure trove license.
So, you know, I guess
pat on the back to all of us.
You know, we found treasure.
Might it be part of some sort
of original deposition?
It's possible. Again, we need
experts to weigh in.
MARTY:
All right, all right.
He's grinning
like a Cheshire cat.
Uh, well, we'll start off
with a few finds.
Yeah, all top pocket finds.
We was kind of, like,
disappointed when we found it.
It looks like a brooch.
GARY:
Yeah, it's like a brooch.
Beautiful brooch.
-RICK: And then...
-GARY: And then,
we checked the hole
and we found the jewel.
-MARTY: Wow.
-JACK: Oh, man.
RICK:
12 facets.
-GARY: I think so.
-Wow.
-RICK: We hope so.
If that's a ruby, that's
a fantastic ruby, isn't it?
Yeah. It's about a three-karat
ruby if it's a ruby.
I'm hoping that it tells a story
because...
Don't chip at the mount
because the mount will tell,
-perhaps, some story.
-GARY: The design.
CHARLES:
Way to go, Gary.
-That's a nice find.
-Not every day you find
a jewel on Oak Island.
CHARLES:
Absolutely.
Beautiful color.
Well, beautiful piece
of jewelry.
CHARLES:
Yeah.
-No, you can't do the gold
dance, can you? -GARY: No.
Let's see the ruby dance.
MARTY: It's a gemstone
set in a brooch.
And Gary's convinced
that it's ancient.
And he's good.
He's not often wrong.
-He's better than good.
-Yeah.
I'm not talking
about metal detecting.
He's good at determining
what things are.
And a gemstone,
a significant--
he thought
three-karat gemstone--
might open all kinds
of doors up.
Well, this needs
to get to a jeweler, ASAP.
I don't know what to say, Gary.
Well done, for sure,
very well done.
-Yeah.
-Pretty cool.
-Very cool.
-So we've got another
hot little area here now.
Yeah. So I take it you're gonna
work that area again?
-Oh, we're gonna hammer it.
Congratulations, guys.
MARTY:
Good job, guys. Excellent job.
NARRATOR:
After a week which began
with frustrating setbacks
at the Money Pit,
the discovery of what could be
an actual piece
of the Oak Island treasure
has convinced the team that the
answers they've been seeking
might be closer
than they believed.
But now that they appear
to be on the brink
of an incredible breakthrough,
will they find the object
that generations
of treasure hunters
have been looking for
for more than two centuries?
Or will it lead them
to an even greater discovery,
one they could never
have imagined?
Next time on
The Curse of Oak Island...
a special season finale.
I took the gem to a gemologist.
It's a 500-year-old stone.
MAX:
Get him in the water.
-Eyes and boots.
-Yes!
RICK: What is down there
and can we get it out?
They found something, Rick.
Oak Island is for real.
-A lot of this looks spendable,
David. -Yes.
-I say we celebrate.
-There's treasure on Oak Island.
-JACK: Yeah!
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
A+E NETWORKS
The Curse of Oak Island...
You did work out
in Smith's Cove.
DAN B.: That was put in
by the original people.
RICK: There are pictures,
there are measurements,
but no one has been able
to solve the mystery.
-Yeah.
-Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Whoa, whoa, whoa.
-It's right there.
-RICK: That's old. -MARTY:
That has a "45" cut in it.
MARTY:
This is a structure.
There's no doubt about that.
What the heck is this?
Look at that.
-That's a beauty. -Oh, wow.
Look at that! -MARTY: Wow.
GARY:
That is a bobby-dazzler.
MARTY:
That's a fantastic gemstone.
-RICK: This is treasure.
-Congratulations, guys.
NARRATOR: There is an island
in the North Atlantic
where people have been looking
for an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.
So far, they have found
a stone slab
with strange symbols
carved into it,
mysterious fragments
of human bone,
and a lead cross whose origin
may stretch back
to the days
of the Knights Templar.
To date, six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
And, according to legend,
one more will have to die
before the treasure
can be found.
NARRATOR:
It is a new day on Oak Island.
One of the last before brothers
Rick and Marty Lagina
and members of their team must
suspend operations before
another long,
harsh winter sets in.
So, guys, you know,
we've discussed
our options in this new hole.
TERRY MATHESON:
Ooh!
NARRATOR:
So far this year,
although they have made
a number
of significant discoveries
at both the Money Pit site...
To me, it looks like wood.
-DR. XIANG YANG: It's bone.
It's bone.
-NARRATOR: ...and at
Smith's Cove... -Whoa! Whoa!
-Holy...
-Holy schmoly, all right.
It's a cross.
NARRATOR:
...the team remains frustrated
that efforts to locate
and retrieve
the so-called "Chappell Vault"
have been, so far,
unsuccessful.
Everybody's been close.
You can't help
but be close out there.
There were 44 shafts gone down.
If we actually find
the Chappell Vault
and there's something in it,
it's got to be one
of the greatest stories
ever written,
that all these people,
including us, missed.
So, close doesn't matter.
Close doesn't matter.
NARRATOR: Two weeks ago,
while drilling another
massive 60-inch-wide hole
at the Money Pit site,
the team from Irving Equipment,
Limited encountered
a large metal obstruction
at a depth of 77 feet.
Look at the state of that.
That's been chewed up.
11 out of 36, we ain't gonna
have no... teeth on it.
-We're gonna put the camera in.
-I'm on it!
Let's see what this thing is.
NARRATOR: After attempting
to drain the shaft,
water poured back in.
RICK:
Whoa!
-We're filling full of water!
-Pull it up!
NARRATOR:
...forcing the team
to call in
an experienced diver.
-That ain't good.
-Nope.
What is the can hung up on?
A steel plate?
A cast iron plate?
What's the problem?
Why can't we advance?
We've now rallied
to this consensus
that the best way
to come to an understanding
of what this obstruction is,
is to dive the can.
I think we've rounded
to the fact that
diving is the safest approach
at this point.
So, why don't we call
Mike Huntley,
-Sounds good to me. -All right.
Hopefully, he's ready,
willing and able.
-MIKE: Hello.
-Morning, Mike. -Morning, Mike.
-Hey, Mike.
-Morning, Mike. -GARY: Hi, Mike.
-Hey, Mike.
MIKE:
Hey, guys, how's it going?
-Good. -Good.
-Good, Mike.
NARRATOR:
During the last two years...
...Mike Huntley has been
instrumental in helping
the team in their search
efforts in the Money Pit area.
Three seconds to chair. Over.
Go to chair.
He can leave that sample bag
down there.
Leave the bag there. Get
yourself in the chair. Over.
So, imagine this.
We're on Oak Island,
and we have a problem,
-which you can help us with.
-RICK:
We have undertaken another,
um, hole, with the oscillator.
So, from surface, it would be
77 feet to bottom hole location.
But, here's the...
here's the problem.
Here's what we need you...
need you to assess.
We tried oscillating
the can down.
We hit
a significant obstruction.
And they deduced from that that
they were on significant metals.
They felt it was plate steel.
They could not get through it,
and the chisel--
it's an 8,300-pound
hardened alloy steel chisel--
that actually broke
in several places.
Uh, Charles,
there's nothing down there
-that's indicated by the
archival record? -MIKE: Okay.
No, Mike, this is
what's so strange about it.
There shouldn't be metal
at that level.
I've never read anything,
anywhere
that says there was metal
at this depth.
Certainly, of this thickness
that they can't
get through with the oscillator.
So, we were wondering
if you would be interested
in conducting this dive
to determine
the extent of the obstruction,
and also, is it plate steel?
-RICK: Appreciate it.
-CHARLES: Yeah.
Um, is there anything
we would need,
on our end, to provide to you?
60 inches.
And so, go down,
you'd investigate it,
determine the width
and breadth of it,
uh, perhaps get an understanding
of how thick it is,
uh, is there a concavity to it?
Um...
Basically, determine
its physical dimensions.
So, we all want answers.
This is...
this is
a very strange situation.
RICK:
Mike's been here before.
He's invested in the process.
I mean,
he wants answers
just like the rest of us.
He's enthusiastic
about getting down in that can
and giving us a proper
explanation of what we're on.
-As always, we appreciate it.
-Yeah.
-ALEX: Thanks, Mike.
-Thanks, Mike.
Thanks, Mike.
We'll be in touch.
Yup.
NARRATOR: While the team
from Irving Equipment Limited
disassembles the massive
drilling equipment
in preparation for the upcoming
dive operation
in the D.M.T. shaft...
...Rick and Marty Lagina,
along with Dave Blankenship,
Charles Barkhouse
and metal detection expert
Gary Drayton,
are preparing for a new
and more extensive
search for clues
at Smith's Cove.
I'm in my element here.
So, what's going on?
We're going... we're going
to come out here.
NARRATOR: It was here that
just four weeks ago...
GARY:
Holy schmoly, all right!
NARRATOR: ...Rick and Gary
made what could be
the most important discovery
in the history of Oak Island:
a small lead cross.
A cross that is
almost an exact match
for one carved into the wall
of a 14th century prison
in Domme, France by members
of the Knights Templar.
MARTY:
I was ready to put an "X"
through Smith's Cove last year,
but bottom line, a lead cross
came out of that area.
And it could be
very ancient indeed.
RICK:
The search continues to evolve.
Who knows how many more crosses
or items of interest,
uh, may surface?
I'd say we set up right here.
-Right here.
-Okay.
NARRATOR:
Now it is the team's hope
that by expanding their search
in the area where
the cross was found,
they may unearth more clues--
and possibly treasure--
connected to this
incredible artifact.
We're under a time crunch here.
You don't want to be out here
-when the tide comes back.
-No, I don't.
All right, well, let's do it.
NARRATOR:
While the tide remains low,
the team will be able
to conduct their excavation
without the assistance
of any kind of dam.
But they will have to act fast,
as it won't be long before
the water rises
and covers the entire area.
It's gonna get real tricky,
-real fast.
-RICK: I know.
NARRATOR: While Marty uses
the excavator to dig,
Gary scans the spoils
for any potential
metal clues...
and perhaps
more valuable artifacts.
-RICK: Stop!
-CHARLES: Whoa.
Come up.
NARRATOR: ...brothers Rick
and Marty Lagina-- along with
members of their team--
have just encountered
an unusual object.
Uh! I got it.
Yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Come up.
It's right there.
Something there, he tagged
something right there.
Want a shovel?
RICK:
That's old.
That is old.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
CHARLES: There's wood
all through there, Rick.
RICK:
Yup.
MARTY:
This is a structure.
There's no doubt about that.
NARRATOR:
A wooden structure?
Buried beneath the rocks
at Smith's Cove?
Last year, while working
with archeologist
Laird Niven to uncover evidence
of possible box drains
at Smith's Cove,
the Oak Island team unearthed
a French drain:
an ancient kind of
rock formation used
to control the flow of water.
Laird, I'm going to put you
on the spot, now.
Man
-I believe so, yeah.
-Wow.
NARRATOR:
Could this piece of wood
be part of the original
flood tunnel system
that many believe was
constructed centuries ago
to hide something of
incredible value on Oak Island?
CHARLES:
Anything, Gary?
Just some modern stuff.
CHARLES:
Tide's rising, boys!
RICK: Look, we don't have
a lot of time right now.
-It's 5:00.
-It's 5:00...
-and that is low tide right now.
-It's gonna start...
it's gonna start coming in.
So, we could try digging.
At least they could get a look
at this piece of timber.
Try it real quick,
but you're right,
-we don't have much time.
-RICK: I know. Do it.
NARRATOR:
Because the tide
has started to rise,
every second counts
if the team is going to make
what could be
another important discovery.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
There's a post right there.
There's something
right there.
That has a "45" cut in it,
so it's not driftwood, right?
RICK:
No.
Rick, do you think that piece,
that did come out
is part of
the U
It almost has to be, right?
Could be.
NARRATOR:
A "U
In the early 1970s,
while searching for the remains
of the flood tunnel system,
Dan Blankenship and
his partner, David Tobias,
constructed a large cofferdam
made of earth
and small boulders,
completely surrounding
Smith's Cove.
After pumping the water out of
the cove, Dan and his team
of workers began excavating.
Although they were unsuccessful
in locating evidence
of the stone box drains,
they did discover
a nearly 65-foot-long
U-shaped wooden structure
near the westernmost
point of the cove.
Upon closer examination,
they found curious notches
every four feet
with Roman numerals
carved next to them--
a numbering system
widely used by Europeans
from the time of
the Ancient Roman Empire
all the way up through
the Middle Ages to 1500 AD.
Unfortunately, before
Dan Blankenship and his team
could complete their
investigation of Smith's Cove,
a severe storm
destroyed the cofferdam
and flooded the cove, leaving
the "U-shaped structure"
a mystery that has remained
to this day.
RICK:
Is that axe
CHARLES:
Yeah.
Water's coming up.
We're not going
to be able to do this.
Not on this scale.
Yeah, I'm getting
a little concerned here.
NARRATOR:
Although the rising tide
has forced the team to suspend
their operations
at Smith's Cove,
they are excited to have found
what could be physical evidence
of the mysterious
"U-shaped structure."
RICK:
If it is original,
by its design, by its use,
the type of construction,
perhaps a carbon date...
I was hoping that that would be
the one thing, the one piece
of irrefutable evidence
that men were here
undertaking a large-scale
project long, long ago.
We have the piece that has
a clear "45" cut on it, right?
So, we got
our carbon dating piece.
Yeah, it's definitely axe-cut.
Look, if it comes back 1400
or something...
-Well, then we're laughing.
-No, then we're...
Then it's worth maybe
coming out here
-and doing a sheet-piling deal,
find out what we got. -Yeah.
We've now acquired
a proper sample.
If that structure comes back
1400, 1500, 1600,
I think then
we set ourselves a new task,
and that is
to properly expose the structure
and determine its use.
I'm getting out of here
before I have to swim out.
DAVE:
I'm going with you, Marty.
MARTY:
Okay, David.
NARRATOR:
Later that same day...
-DAN B.: Come on in.
NARRATOR: ...Rick Lagina
and Charles Barkhouse decide
to follow up on their discovery
at Smith's Cove
with a visit to the home
of veteran Oak Island treasure
hunter Dan Blankenship.
-Sit down.
-RICK: Thank you.
NARRATOR: At 94 years old,
Dan has spent more
than half a century working to
solve the 223-year-old mystery.
His extensive experience
and discoveries
on the island
make him an invaluable resource
and senior advisor to Rick,
Marty and the Oak Island team.
You did work out in Smith's
Cove, and you did a lot of work.
-Yeah, we did quite
a bit of work there. -Right.
It's always been a curiosity
of mine.
-And Charles, you can speak
to it more than I. -Yeah.
CHARLES: I've always been
very curious about
the so-called "U-shaped
structure" that you found, Dan.
-Yeah. That was in '71.
-Yeah.
Dan, do you remember this?
I believe that's you, Dan,
right there.
DAN B.: And that's the U-shaped
structure that we found there.
RICK:
Right.
It was a pretty big structure,
wasn't it? A massive structure.
-Oh, yes.
-Yeah, I mean, look at the size.
-Yeah. -You can gain perspective
by looking at yourself.
Look at how big that timber is.
It's massive.
DAN B.:
Huge logs
that must have been better
than 24 inches in diameter.
CHARLES:
Wow.
DAN B.:
In my opinion, that log would
definitely still be there.
-We didn't try and remove it.
-RICK: So,
it wasn't a beam on top
of a beam on top of a beam?
It wasn't a wall.
That was just one log structure?
-Yeah. -What exactly
did you think it was?
I don't know. I never did come
up with a definitive answer.
At the time we dug it up,
I always felt that was put in
by the original people.
There are pictures,
there are photographs,
there are measurements,
but no one has been able
to articulate
what that structure's
purpose was.
So, the hope is that
we may be able to do that.
Well, I do know this.
I have interest in trying to
come to some sort of certainty
as to its purpose
and who might have done it.
It'd be good to confirm
-that was original.
-Yes.
NARRATOR:
If the section of wooden beam
that was found earlier today
at Smith's Cove
can be carbon-dated
to some time before 1750,
then it might very likely be
part of a structure believed
to have been built
on Oak Island
by the original depositors.
But what was it they deposited?
Gold?
Jewels?
Pirate treasure?
Or was it something
of even greater value?
Something that required an
elaborate system of booby traps
and flood tunnels
in order to prevent it
from ever being discovered.
Well, one way or another,
we'll get to the bottom of that.
-I'll try to make it happen.
-Yeah, okay. I like that.
Good luck.
NARRATOR: While awaiting
the carbon dating results
from the sample taken
from the U-shaped structure,
Rick Lagina,
Dave Blankenship
and Charles Barkhouse
travel more than 50 miles north
to the town
of Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
DAVE: I think we're going
right there.
CHARLES: There we go.
We're-we're right here.
It's a nice house.
NARRATOR:
They have arranged
to meet with the descendants
of one of the men
who worked with Oak Island
treasure hunter
Robert Dunfield
more than 50 years ago.
Let me introduce you
to the rest of the family.
RICK: Harold Bishop's grandson
called Charles and indicated
to Charles that he had
an artifact from the island.
He felt it was
of sufficient interest
that we should come and visit.
So, we called you about the
piece that my grandfather found
when he was working
on the island.
-Okay. -He was the crane
operator or bucket operator.
-Okay, that definitely would be
Dunfield then. Yes. -TROY: Yeah.
NARRATOR:
In 1965,
California geologist
turned treasure hunter,
Robert Dunfield,
came to Oak Island,
determined to recover the
Chappell Vault first reported
by William Chappell
and Frederick Blair in 1897.
In what is still to this day
the largest excavation of
the Money Pit ever attempted,
Dunfield and members
of his team--
which included
crane operator Harold Bishop--
dug a massive 100-foot wide
and 143-foot deep hole.
Unfortunately, Dunfield's
operation was no match
for the believed
booby-trapped flood tunnels.
The hole caved in
just a few feet
from the Chappell Vault's
reported depth,
and Dunfield and his team left
empty-handed.
Or so everyone thought.
Our family connection really
intrigues us
to want to know more
of the story
and want to see what happens
and how things evolve
on the island.
Yeah, and thought maybe you
might be interested in seeing,
-you know, what he brought home.
-CHARLES: Well, yeah.
We'd love to see it.
Here it is.
CHARLES: It's a pretty thick
piece of wood.
RICK:
It's certainly very interesting.
CHARLES: So, this actually came
out of the Money Pit area?
I believe
that's where it's from.
-CHARLES: From the excavation
that he was working with. -Yes.
-Yes.
-Wow.
-TROY: I believe
-he put the plaque on himself.
Oh, wow.
: Yeah.
-CHARLES:
Look how tight those grains are.
RICK:
Did he ever speculate
about what type of wood
this was?
LYNN:
I don't remember him saying,
but he seemed to think
that perhaps it might have been
part of a ship.
NARRATOR:
Wood
Found deep within
the Oak Island Money Pit?
Could it have come
from the same ship
that treasure hunter Fred Nolan
believed was deliberately sunk
and then buried in what is now
the Oak Island swamp?
If so, how did a portion
of that ship
happen to be buried deep
in the Oak Island Money Pit?
What I'm thinking, though,
it could be part of the rudder.
-For the slots in here
for moving back and forth, Rick.
'Cause it'd be thick enough.
'Cause they're fairly
substantial.
See the... that would be the...
Oh, there's a dowel.
LYNN:
A dowel or a nail.
-A nail. No, it's a nail.
It's a nail.
-Right there. And there was one
right here, too. -LYNN: Yeah.
RICK: To me, it looks...
it definitely looks
-like a square nail. -Yep.
No. It is.
It's square.
That nail is interesting
-because if it's brass
or bronze... -Yes.
...uh, early bronze nails
is what they used on ships.
I found eight pages
of what looks like a ship's log.
NARRATOR:
A few weeks ago,
Oak Island researcher
Doug Crowell
presented the team
with a translation
of a ship's log
reported to have come
from a failed
French naval expedition in 1746
led by the duc d'Anville,
a descendant of a family
connected
to the Knights Templar.
"It has been agreed
that a deep pit be dug
and treasure securely buried."
In my mind, they're pointing
right to Oak Island.
Well, it's almost too perfect.
NARRATOR: Could this
mysterious piece of wood
be connected
to the duc d'Anville's mission
to bury a priceless treasure
in a pit
dug deep beneath the surface
of Oak Island?
RICK: The wood in and of itself
was interesting.
It was very thick-- probably
over three inches thick.
It had routered grooves in it
that could have been done
by hand
with a chisel and a hammer.
But to me,
the most interesting thing
was they had square-cut nails
in the corners
right outside
these mitered grooves.
So, there's a lot of information
on a little 12x12 piece of wood.
I guess it begs the question--
at least in my mind.
And, you know,
are you interested at all
in perhaps aging it?
Species identification
of the wood?
Uh, we could do
scanning electron microscope
-on the metals.
-On the nails. Yeah.
I think Dad would...
would really want that.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
To know more about it?
I think he would have loved
to have known more about it.
RICK:
The excitement is there
in that piece of wood.
We can analyze it.
We can have someone
render opinion about it.
But the disturbing aspect
of being presented these items
is how much more is out there?
Are there artifacts that we are
currently unaware of?
And that's really
what draws my attention
to these items.
-We want to say thank you.
-TROY: Thank you.
Thank you for reaching out.
Thank you for the stories.
Thank you for the interest.
RICK:
So, John, welcome back.
NARRATOR:
Three days after obtaining
a piece of the so-called
"U-shaped structure"
buried at Smith's Cove,
Rick Lagina
and members of the team
gather in the war room
to hear the results
of the scientific testing
conducted on the sample.
We did retrieve samples
from that structure
that's on the-the map.
I think you'll find
what we're about to do
interesting.
NARRATOR:
The team has also invited
geophysical engineer
John Wonnacott
to take part in the meeting.
John had conducted
a previous investigation
into the possible origin
of the U-shaped structure
more than 30 years ago
for Dan Blankenship,
although the results
were not definitive.
RICK: John has actually
retrieved a piece
of the U-shaped structure
in the past.
He obtained a piece
of the left arm,
if you will.
And aside from John
and Daniel Blankenship,
those are the only two people
who have ever seen
this structure.
Craig has the reports
on a piece we believe came
from the U-shaped structure.
I think we'll get them up here
on the line,
and see what Craig has to say.
This suld be interesting.
Hi, guys.
-Hey, guys.
NARRATOR: Joining the team
via videoconference,
from their offices
in Traverse City, Michigan,
are Rick's brother Marty,
and their friend and business
partner Craig Tester.
You guys have the reports
about the U-shaped structure.
We do.
And that's why John is invited.
He has a fascination with
that structure, as does Charles.
And also of particular interest,
the results of the wood
that Harold Bishop had found
in the Dunfield excavation.
Okay. So, the wood
that had the wormholes in it
ranges from 1684 to 1732.
So the-the second one,
the Dunfield wood,
is from 1646 to 1690.
So, you know, we found
a lot of things, it seems like,
this year,
that fit in that time period.
I think that the-- at least
the one probability curve
for the U-shaped structure
is very similar to the dates
we got from the human bones.
-CRAIG: Yeah, I sure do.
The Middle Eastern bone
is 1682 to 1736, so...
-That's virtually the same.
-Yeah.
NARRATOR:
The wood from Smith's Cove,
and the human bones found
earlier this year
at the Money Pit,
all dating
from before the mid
Could the Laginas and their
partners have finally found
physical evidence of human
activity on Oak Island
that proves that the legends
about an elaborate engineering
project being conducted
before 1750 are true?
And, if so, does that mean
they are closer than ever
to solving
the Oak Island mystery?
So what we're left with
is a big mystery.
I would have to say,
if we have the budget,
we should have another go
at that U-shaped structure
and actually unearth it.
I don't think
we've figured it out.
There's enough interest,
I think,
to expose it once and for all.
Oh, yeah. Part of the U-shaped
structure that you dug
had to be part of the south arm.
-Yes, it was.
-And that's smaller diameter.
I think it's really, very
interesting and very valuable,
in my opinion,
to get the base log exposed.
-Mm-hmm. -If we get a match
for the base log,
then we'll get a year.
And that would tell the tale.
RICK: With the proper permits
and the proper controls,
that will totally encompass
and allow us to excavate
and expose
the U-shaped structure.
It's gonna take
a new cofferdam to do it.
Um...
-And a bigger one.
-And a bigger one.
It just means
that we're probably
not going to do it this year,
because we have to recamp
and rethink about it.
Okay, guys, look, you know,
U-shaped structure, not busted.
-Not analyzed, either.
We need to do
a little more work.
Well, we definitely need
a battle plan
if we're gonna go after it.
-All right. Good job, guys.
-See you.
-RICK: See you.
-DAVE: Take care.
RICK:
Okay.
NARRATOR:
With three days remaining
until the team's dive operation
at the Money Pit...
RICK:
Give me my tools.
...Rick Lagina and metal
detection expert Gary Drayton
have decided to investigate
an area on the island
that they believe might offer
some important clues: Lot 8.
We've come to realize
how important
metal detecting is,
in terms of furthering
the search.
And with the end of the year
fast approaching,
weather closing in,
the idea is to get out there
with Gary
and see what else
we can come up with.
RICK: I'd like to go in here
and do some metal detecting.
GARY: Yeah, that's good.
I'll turn it on.
NARRATOR: It was here,
just one week ago,
that the team unearthed
a remarkable find.
GARY:
Look at that.
-It's a little ornate...
-MARTY: Oh, my goodness.
GARY:
...lock plate?
NARRATOR:
A mysterious key plate,
one they believe
could be connected
to the 18th century
Oak Island landowner
and privateer
Captain James Anderson.
RICK:
Pretty thick in there.
This place looks
like virgin ground.
RICK:
If you find something in here,
it's not going to be a pull tab.
GARY: Yeah, I know,
I have a feeling it isn't.
This is the quietest area
I've seen.
All it takes is one good signal.
That sounds good.
GARY:
Yeah, it does.
This is a bit bouncy.
I normally wouldn't
dig this, but...
...as I've got
a good digger with me.
See? That disappeared,
and then came back.
RICK:
Is that good or bad?
GARY:
I don't know.
GARY:
Oh.
Oh, there it is.
Something round.
Could it be a coin?
If it's a coin, it'd be
a good one, being that small.
Dab-nabbit.
I can feel a little...
-Yeah, a little tab on the back.
-RICK: That's what I thought.
-Yeah, it's a button.
Still in good condition
for a little cuff button.
Yeah, it's definitely...
looks like it's military.
RICK:
Oh, yeah.
-That's hard to date.
I'd say 1780 to 1820.
Straddles the beginning
of the search era.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: If the button
can be dated to sometime
between the late 1700s
to the early 1800s,
it was most likely left behind
by a former landowner
or perhaps one of the first
treasure hunters on Oak Island.
But if it is determined
to be from an earlier period,
could it have once belonged
to one of the men
who buried treasure here?
If you can find buttons,
you can find coins.
That's how it normally goes.
I'll dig up whatever you find.
All right, mate. So,
I was going this way, I think.
-Yeah.
See, there's some iron
around there.
That nearly tricked me.
I was going slow enough
to detect the good target
next to the iron.
RICK:
That sounds good.
-Oh, that's good,
that it's deeper.
RICK:
Mm-hmm.
What the heck is this?
Oh, I know what that would've
been. That would've been, like,
-a cameo brooch-type thing.
Yeah. Yeah.
-This could be really old.
-Mm-hmm.
NARRATOR: An ornate brooch
found in the area
where the team
recently discovered part
of a possible treasure chest?
So, a little bit of jewelry.
-I wonder if it's
in there still. -Yeah.
-I want to check the hole.
-Yeah.
-Yeah, I think so.
Okay.
You don't think there's
something that--
-Uh, could be anywhere.
The only way to know is
if we was to come back
with, like, a little sieve
and just a sifter.
-Yeah, and just dig it out.
-I'd leave the hole open,
so we know where it is.
All right,
I'll continue, will I?
That was weird. Look.
Look at this, Rick.
-We've got it. We've got it.
There was a bit of metal
in, uh, the thingy.
-Oh, wow! Look at that.
-Look at that. That's a beauty!
That is beautiful.
That bloody well is, isn't it?
Wow.
Look at how many facets on that.
GARY:
That is a bobby-dazzler.
That's gorgeous.
Now we know why we always
recheck the hole, don't we?
-Look at that.
-Oh, man.
It's cut. Look. It's cut.
The facets on it?
Yeah, look at that.
Yeah, it is!
Rick, we've just found a jewel.
-RICK: Wow.
-GARY: That's a beauty.
Look at how many facets on that.
NARRATOR:
While metal detecting on Lot 8,
Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton
have just made
what could be
a major historic discovery,
an object that looks to be
some sort of gemstone or jewel.
Wow, it is beautiful.
Look at the color on that.
Isn't that pretty?
That is fantastic.
That's gorgeous.
-GARY: This is exciting.
-Mm-hmm.
That is a beautiful thing.
Look at the colors in that.
Nice, rich, dark red.
Do you think that's a ruby?
NARRATOR:
A ruby?
Could Rick and Gary
have just found
a genuine piece
of antique jewelry?
But, if so, how old is it?
And how did it come
to Oak Island?
RICK:
A brooch with a ruby set in it?
We're both aghast.
I mean, could this be the first
sign of real treasure?
This, truly--
well and truly--
is a significant find.
There must be...
one, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
11, 12, maybe.
12 facets.
GARY:
Yeah, that's old. That's 1700s.
And remember, Rick,
back in the day,
you know,
they did things properly.
This is...
I mean, who would've worn that?
NARRATOR: If the deep red stone
is determined to be authentic,
it is likely one
of the first genuine pieces
of antique jewelry
to be found on Oak Island.
But was it brought here
as part of a pirate's treasure,
perhaps once belonging
to the 18th century privateer,
Captain James Anderson?
Or could it be of even greater
monetary or historical value?
In 1792,
as the French Revolution
reached its most violent
and bloody phase,
Queen Marie Antoinette
was facing a gruesome death
under the blade
of a guillotine.
Hoping to escape,
she employed one
of her servants
to smuggle her jewels out
of the castle,
in hopes they could be used
to purchase the queen's safety,
along with that of her family.
Unfortunately,
the plan didn't work.
Both Marie Antoinette
and her husband,
King Louis XVI, were executed.
Strangely, however,
the queen's jewels
were never found.
For years, rumors abounded
that the queen's servant
had secured passage on a ship
headed for North America
and that the queen's jewels
were buried somewhere
on Oak Island.
It was this theory
that attracted the attention
of a 27-year-old
treasure hunter
from Hyde Park, New York,
the future 32nd president
of the United States,
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
You know,
I've-I've long wondered
what compelled FDR
to become involved.
He was interested in the
Marie Antoinette connection,
the disappearance
of the French Crown Jewels.
We found one brooch
with a stone in it.
My mind went to the FDR belief,
but we never really
substantiated it.
Perhaps there's more information
to be gleaned.
You know, Gary, it's such
a remarkable find,
I think I should call
my brother, everyone up there.
Everybody should come down
and take a look at this.
I-It's just absolutely stunning
and beautiful.
Hey, Gary and I found something
and, uh, I think you guys will
be interested in seeing it.
Why don't you come down
and take a look?
Okay.
If it's a ruby, even if
it's a semiprecious stone,
this is treasure, as defined
by the treasure trove license.
So, you know, I guess
pat on the back to all of us.
You know, we found treasure.
Might it be part of some sort
of original deposition?
It's possible. Again, we need
experts to weigh in.
MARTY:
All right, all right.
He's grinning
like a Cheshire cat.
Uh, well, we'll start off
with a few finds.
Yeah, all top pocket finds.
We was kind of, like,
disappointed when we found it.
It looks like a brooch.
GARY:
Yeah, it's like a brooch.
Beautiful brooch.
-RICK: And then...
-GARY: And then,
we checked the hole
and we found the jewel.
-MARTY: Wow.
-JACK: Oh, man.
RICK:
12 facets.
-GARY: I think so.
-Wow.
-RICK: We hope so.
If that's a ruby, that's
a fantastic ruby, isn't it?
Yeah. It's about a three-karat
ruby if it's a ruby.
I'm hoping that it tells a story
because...
Don't chip at the mount
because the mount will tell,
-perhaps, some story.
-GARY: The design.
CHARLES:
Way to go, Gary.
-That's a nice find.
-Not every day you find
a jewel on Oak Island.
CHARLES:
Absolutely.
Beautiful color.
Well, beautiful piece
of jewelry.
CHARLES:
Yeah.
-No, you can't do the gold
dance, can you? -GARY: No.
Let's see the ruby dance.
MARTY: It's a gemstone
set in a brooch.
And Gary's convinced
that it's ancient.
And he's good.
He's not often wrong.
-He's better than good.
-Yeah.
I'm not talking
about metal detecting.
He's good at determining
what things are.
And a gemstone,
a significant--
he thought
three-karat gemstone--
might open all kinds
of doors up.
Well, this needs
to get to a jeweler, ASAP.
I don't know what to say, Gary.
Well done, for sure,
very well done.
-Yeah.
-Pretty cool.
-Very cool.
-So we've got another
hot little area here now.
Yeah. So I take it you're gonna
work that area again?
-Oh, we're gonna hammer it.
Congratulations, guys.
MARTY:
Good job, guys. Excellent job.
NARRATOR:
After a week which began
with frustrating setbacks
at the Money Pit,
the discovery of what could be
an actual piece
of the Oak Island treasure
has convinced the team that the
answers they've been seeking
might be closer
than they believed.
But now that they appear
to be on the brink
of an incredible breakthrough,
will they find the object
that generations
of treasure hunters
have been looking for
for more than two centuries?
Or will it lead them
to an even greater discovery,
one they could never
have imagined?
Next time on
The Curse of Oak Island...
a special season finale.
I took the gem to a gemologist.
It's a 500-year-old stone.
MAX:
Get him in the water.
-Eyes and boots.
-Yes!
RICK: What is down there
and can we get it out?
They found something, Rick.
Oak Island is for real.
-A lot of this looks spendable,
David. -Yes.
-I say we celebrate.
-There's treasure on Oak Island.
-JACK: Yeah!
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