02x04 - The Breakthrough

[bunniefuu]

Tonight on the curse of Oak Island I'm

not willing to give up you don't think

we could put an extra phone though why

not this is looking very expensive and

not too much reward this was found in

the bottom of the swamp what the hell is

that that big tree stuff what's that

doing on the middle no I wouldn't have

grown underwater then the swamp came

after the truth he's man-made it's the

money pit

I want to see what's down there that's

the top of the vault looks like we might

have been right oh wow guys do you think

you're on the vault

there is an island in the North Atlantic

where men have been looking for treasure

for more than 200 years they have

uncovered booby-trapped flood tunnels

carved stones with strange symbols even

17th century Spanish coins six men have

even lost their lives

according to legend one more will have

to die before the treasure can be found

two more

start pouring

after two full weeks of drilling Rick

and Marty lagina their partner Craig

tester and the other members of the Oak

Island team are still trying to locate

the original money pit how far are you

gonna go get to 140 I think you'd be

happy since purchasing property on Oak

Island seven years ago brothers Rick and

Marty lagina have employed a very simple

strategy follow up on every lead and

explore every Theory until tangible

evidence of a treasure is found so far

they have found coconut fiber at Smith's

Cove dating as far back as 1260 ad

coconut fiber that is believed to have

been used as a filter to keep ocean

debris from clogging a series of

underground booby-trapped flood tunnels

at the area known as Nolan's cross

they found evidence of a number of large

flat-sided stones indicating that the

boulders that make up the cross might be

part of an elaborate treasure map one

that points to the Knights Templar the

lost manuscripts of William Shakespeare

and sacred religious objects from the

temple of King Solomon at the swamp they

found a 17th century Spanish coin this

could be something big which validates

the many stories indicating that what

lies buried on Oak Island may very well

be pirate treasure it's a Spanish

maravedi probably from the 1600s now

they are determined to locate the

biggest and most challenging target of

all the original Oak Island money pit to

find it will take a combination of time

tenacity and luck three things the

laginas are beginning to think they're

running out of

hit any boulders no wood goal of any

long don't meddle I can tolerate

anything but metal money pit

who knows what's down there because this

legendary treasure site has been dug up

and filled in more than a dozen times

over the past 200 years virtually all

natural landmarks or man-made markers

have been obliterated and vintage Maps

indicating the money pits exact location

have either been lost or destroyed over

time well you can see it caved in Rick

and I had filled it with a bunch of

boulders for the past several years

Craig tester has scoured scores of books

in two centuries worth of anecdotal

evidence in order to determine where to

begin gathering a number of core samples

if just one of the samples contains

physical evidence that can be dated to

before 1795 then the Tingler found the

original money pit

unfortunately much of the area

surrounding the pit is filled with

layers of wood planking stones and other

man-made debris left behind by Past

treasure hunters which conventional

coring drills could not dig through for

this reason the team has brought in a

30-ton drill rig outfitted with drill

bits powerful enough to grind and dig

through just about anything small PVC

white pipes are well we couldn't get

down deep enough so we pulled forward a

little bit we still should be in but

they call that Triangle area that's

where Mr said his father had drilled

into them a margin back in the eighteen

hundreds yeah long time ago we're hoping

to do that again with this hole in 1897

Oak Island treasure hunter and drill

operator William Chappell while drilling

core samples in the original money pit

discovered evidence of what he believed

to be a large wooden vault at his depth

of 153 feet it was covered in something

that looked like concrete and on his

drill bit he found what looked like

flakes of gold small bits of metal and

even a piece of parchment with the

letters VI clearly visible but before

Chappell could dig a hole deep enough to

reach the mysterious wooden vault water

flooded the shaft

Oh caved in and the exact location of

the mysterious wooden vault was feared

to be lost forever while trying to find

the vault in the 1950s William chapels

son Melvin deduced that his father's

original drill site was located at an

area on the island he dubbed the

Triangle area the Triangle area was

something we discovered in a book and

then Rick and Craig delineated where

this triangle area is so we're gonna

drill basically kind of in the middle of

it mm-hmm trying to find that vault

unfortunately for the laginas mel

chappell also noted that due to the

unique characteristics of rotary

drilling it might be virtually

impossible to find the wooden vault this

is due to the fact that when drilling at

great depths the drill bit may veer off

several degrees based on various

underground factors such as soil

conditions and possible obstructions

what's that that black thing over there

that's a new method to separate the air

from the water and samples on the side

there's a hole where the chute the water

in the air and the material they're

bringing up and it'll spin in a circle

in there and the air will go out the top

in the water and sediments will fall out

the bottom then hopefully we get good

samples all right

so we're hoping everyone hit the vault

yeah bring some of that shiny stuff

laughs fingers crossed we want this

color can I use it as an example

no as operations at the drill site

continue Rick lagina has asked his

brother Marty and other members of their

team to join him for a quick meeting in

the w*r room okay before we start we

have one piece of good news we're always

looking for good news right

you have the drainage permit for the

swamp

for Marty news that the team has

received permission to drain and dig in

the Oak Island swamp doesn't exactly

make him happy last summer they got

encouraging readings indicating the

presence of non-ferrous or precious

metal near the so-called mercy point

only to then have the readings

mysteriously disappear this is crazy you

get a hit it goes away yeah and you come

up with nothing

how's that possible

this past winter big spike here the team

scanned the frozen oak island swamp

using a deepmax x6

metal detection unit still spoken but a

detailed analysis of the data they

collected turned out to be less than

positive you know I met with dave

spencer from kellyco yesterday and we

finally did get a report from lorenz on

the x6 and the z1 and honestly it's not

that hopeful do you have the letter yeah

yes I mean this is not too encouraging

because at the very end he says

unfortunately there are only one or two

ferrous metal objects we could see all

the others are of no interest that's his

summation I hope that is not too

disappointing for you I hate that swamp

have been clear about that stinky nasty

swamp we've run every state-of-the-art

instrumentation out there we're still

not sure so I would be willing to say

what look we gave that the old college

try and be done and put more emphasis on

the money pit guys I don't want to dig

anything in the swamp that's where I'm

at

what do you wanted I want to confirm

that the two items that were found yeah

are those two targets and we can do it

very simply with a b*mb you don't think

we you don't think we can put an X

through swallow

why not because we're not done yet we're

not I'm not walking away

coming up there's something there and I

intend to find out let's take a vote

where's that water coming from

you don't think we can put an X through

swung why not

because we're not done yet we're not I'm

not walking away the situation in the

w*r room has suddenly become tense as

brothers Rick and Marty lagina find

themselves a faceoff they could affect

the future of their entire operation

ever since he was an 11 year old boy

growing up in northern Michigan retired

postal worker Rick lagina has dedicated

himself to solving the Oak Island

mystery

he believes that somewhere at the bottom

of the triangle-shaped swamp the

entrance to a vast underground treasure

vault may lie
hidden yes we don't walk

away 190 percent of the way there

okay I'm not done with the swamp the

swamp is not done with us there's

something there and I intend to find out

all right I'm not willing to give up I

know that and so let's take a vote fine

right now

okay all those we want to continue in

this one continued
and I then I will I

will respectfully disagree but I will

wholeheartedly participate ecstatic

about us going back into the swamp ring

they say one more time I hate that swamp

it stinks its buggy

it's nasty oh love it yeah when you pull

Tutankhamen's second treasure over there

yeah I'll like it then don't get too

crazy on me

now that the laginas and their partners

have agreed to continue investigating

the Oak Island swamp Marty has called in

a local tree expert to examine a large

stump that was pulled out of the water a

few weeks ago we want it

well Joe look appreciate you coming off

we got some mysteries we want faults I

understand you're the guy to do it well

well you know all things book trees

right yes

marty is curious to know if the stump

found at the bottom of the swamp could

have naturally grown in water here's my

first question and I know this is

difficult because this is weathered and

waterlogged and everything but can you

tell what species this is

not definitively now

I would say it's probably hardwood it's

been underwater for some time and it

probably wouldn't have grown very well

completely submerged underwater one

would have to assume it it was a above

water it's home time yeah yeah I mean

this has been five feet of water it

wasn't grown there no you wouldn't think

as hardwood trees like the many Oaks

found on Oak Island cannot grow in water

the stump found in the swamp may help

prove that one of the islands most

compelling and persistent theories is

true that the islands triangle-shaped

swamp is in fact man-made but how

according to many Oak Island theorists

the swamp was most likely formed by

creating a 250 yard long coffer dam

bridging the east and west portions of

the island then draining out the water

and later refilling the area but what

would have been the purpose of such an

elaborate engineering effort the

creation of an artificial swamp would

have offered a perfect means to first

dig a large underground vault

or network of tunnels

barri something of great value and then

covered up beneath thousands of gallons

of dark brackish water water which would

also make access to the site difficult

if not virtually impossible the fact of

how certain Jill was that that tree

couldn't possibly have grown in that

location with the swamp in place makes

me want to not give up on the swamp

makes me want to kind of get back in

there do a little more research the

island lures us in again is what I would

call that Marty's renewed interest in

exploring the swamp is a sign of his

commitment to pursue his brothers

lifelong dream of solving the Oak Island

mystery but Marty is also a practical

man and he is starting to consider what

will happen if the costs start getting

too high

at the drill site Rick lagina and Craig

tester learned that the larger rig has

been successful at reaching a depth of

115 feet but they are still 25 feet shy

of their target depth of 140 feet the

depth they will need to reach if they

are ever defined not only the money pit

but also the Chappell vault okay solve

this damn thing once and for all are you

going to record books

the original descriptions were

clay-filled holes that's where we want

to be the Clay's where the original

money pit is and so we'll start fresh

with this last joint than any material

that comes through will be brand-new and

we could be in virgin territory even

we're not that deep we may be in an area

that nobody said so we'll take a good

look at everything from here on out I

got some screams to help build their

stuff out well somebody's gonna have to

be here yeah the best-case scenario we

see something really critical will

wave-wave jordan off

that's good idea last thing you wanted

m*ssile

as water and debris pour into the

trailer Rick and Craig search through

the mud for any evidence that might

indicate they could be close to finding

the original money pit treasure shaft

and gravel clay no we're gonna finding

it I mean

you know it'd be best if I were elected

much

the description of the old money pit

solid clay-filled shaft we get into the

solid clay-filled shaft we have a better

idea of where the money pit was and then

maybe we can drill a few more holes to

try to split spoon our way down and

maybe then recover

suddenly gallons of muddy water gush out

of the drill hole

got the number from below

the water issue is a concern it's a

danger where's that water coming from we

don't know is it flood tunnels or are we

actually getting water from some unknown

source and may destabilize the whole

working platform worst case scenario of

the rig topples I mean no one wants that

could rake in Craig if hit one of the

booby-trapped flood tunnels the same

flood tunnels that according to legend

flooded the money pit 200 years ago and

that continue to flood other searcher

tunnels and shafts like the Halifax

tunnel and 10x

it's rockin pretty good

could the search for the money pit be

over before it even had a chance to get

started

coming up how's the drilling going it's

frustrating I want to tell you what

Craig it's expensive too you know how

much of the hourly is for that rig at

some point we all have to be thinking

wind is enough be coming out

rocking pretty good step back

while trying to drill a 140-foot hole in

the money pit area to get a core sample

Rick lagina and Craig tester have

accidently tapped into a gusher of water

could they have struck one of the

legendary booby-trapped flood tunnels

the ones long believed to have been

constructed centuries ago to protect

whatever it is that lies buried on Oak

Island if so then the water that came

gushing out of the hole would be

saltwater from the surrounding ocean

it's not that bad

that is not so water

I heard see if we get David a drink

though in forever not according to

accounts by previous treasure hunters

the water that flooded the money pit in

the 19th century was saltwater unlike

the fresh groundwater found elsewhere on

the island

the presence of ocean water gave

credibility to stories of a network of

booby-trapped flood tunnels which enter

the money pit area at various depths and

from various directions

it is these flood tunnels which when

triggered prevent the area around the

money pit from being excavated and

whatever lies buried at the bottom from

being retrieved

although tapping into what could be a

man-made booby-trap would be an

indication that Rick and Craig were on

the right track so far as finding the

money pit is concerned a non-stop flood

of seawater would seriously undermine

any progress the team was hoping to make

what do you want is that salt our friend

tasted it we say it's fresh you - no no

let me do the bottle

no-no-no that's so let's come on

fresh I think it's really a brackish

we're braxton truth all in

no it's fresh finding French water most

likely indicates that Rick and the team

may have hit an artesian well one which

could pose a significant threat to their

drilling efforts the first thing of

interest for me is you know the old

stories money pit saltwater money pit

saltwater the curious thing was it

wasn't salty there's probably been an

introduction of freshwater into that

system so it's one more complexity to

the puzzle it's a little disturbing

though that there's that amount of

freshwater in there I can't explain so

as usual one answer to questions

[Laughter]

while the drilling process continues

back at the money pit site Craig tester

meets with Marty to give him an update

on the day's progress Murray I was

drilling going well it's going slow it's

frustrating it was he making progress

yeah he's making progress I mean the

actual drilling it's very quick really

twenty feet yes but he's not having the

same troubles that the other guy had no

he's got enough pump plenty long it's

got plenty of power it's just it's

frustrating it's not you want to tell

you what Craig it's expensive to you

know how much is the all release for

that rig and we've been out here now we

drilled two holes looking for the

Halifax tunnel didn't find anything now

we're drilling in the money pit I mean

at some point we all have to be thinking

you know when it when does enough become

enough right yeah I mean I don't burn in

money at a pretty good rate we need to

break through I guess you know if you

look at this year's efforts it's been

it's been disappointing we we got some

teasers I guess we just need to you need

to fight that vault

all right well you know what in for

penny came for bone let's keep going for

a while and see what happens

definitely all right good I want to work

through some more figures then I'll join

you out there okay

deal make some hole Craig okay see ya

okay

for Marty lagina his brothers

determination to pursue multiple

theories and search in more than one

area at a time may have increased the

team's chances for success but they have

also put a strain on the already limited

number of days the team could all be

together on the island this is an

expensive venture we have a lot of money

in this all of us not just me Craig Rick

and expenses continue to add up so at

some point the money will matter at some

point we have to look at the bottom line

and say this is still worth it coming up

if his concrete Rick concrete wood

that's the description that's what they

found at the top of the wall

back at the money pit site progress is

finally being made the 30-ton drilling

rig has been stabilized and the drill

bits have proved powerful enough to move

past layers of debris and reach the

team's target depth of 140 feet

if Craig testers calculations are

correct the team could find themselves

within a few feet of the original money

pit and possibly the mysterious wooden

object known as the Chappell vault it's

taking a long time to get to 140-foot

level but now ready to start taking some

split-spoon samples okay yeah let's do

it

the process is a relatively simple one

first Jordan Rogers of Valley well

drillers begins mounting a two-foot

coring head once deployed the drill will

insert a steel casing into the 140 foot

hole to keep it from collapsing then a

two-foot-long hollow coin bit otherwise

known as a split spoon sampler will

extract a sample of earth along with any

other objects present if the split spoon

can retrieve any artifacts that can be

dated to before 1795 then the laginas

and their team will have found the money

pit

at this point it just comes down to luck

did we pick the right spot is there

something there and how far are we gonna

penetrate into so that begs the question

why are we here however finding it right

there

we're just waiting for the split spoon

and it has to come out of that hole in

finally maybe we can get some

information up till now it's just been a

it's been a real money pit

that's not good it's gonna go up sloppy

wet yeah we're not gonna get a song

before

well he's got a slurry up to where its

ports are above it the car could still

be perfectly fine

we'll see

we're gonna fall barrel yeah

it is a suspense-filled moment for the

Oak Island team will the core sample

containing materials from 140 feet deep

underground indicate that they are close

to finding the original Oak Island money

pit

Oh

that's amazing

screwdriver

definitely got wood for my nap be nice

to know what that is what speeches it

would is yeah

there we go he's coming slowly

that's deadly

that's what they found at the top of the

wall

thank God bedrock right there I don't

think that's bedrock pavers concrete

Rick that is a possibility

concrete and then wood that's the

description concrete and wood have Rick

Craig and Dave not only located the

original money pit but also the

mysterious Chappell vault the one first

discovered by William Chappell more than

100 years ago well if this is a side

piece or we're coming right down the

side of it but like you said why is this

turn this at the top here's the top this

is sitting on top of this beam we cut

through that right into the side I mean

it makes sense

according to historical records the

strange wooden vault William Chappell

and his team discovered measured seven

feet high with seven-inch thick walls it

was covered by a mixture of clay and

sand that looked like cement which

laboratory tests conducted at the time

determined to have been worked by man

that is curious the two different

orientations of the wood it's curious

that this is old instincts have Rick

Craig and the Oak Island team really

taken a core sample from the legendary

Chappell vault and if so what might they

discover inside it pirate treasure rare

manuscripts precious religious artifacts

is the Oak Island team really on the

threshold of solving this 200 year old

mystery

when the first split spoon came up

initially its Wow

you know there's a wall factor to it

because we all see clay and we see what

might be construed as poor cement and

then there's horizontal wouldn't then

there's vertical wood well we were

basically looking at the description

from 1897 right there in front of our

faces but we should take this to my

brother yeah absolutely let's get the

truck and go okay coming out that's the

top of the wall looks like we might have

been right this is the core that's the

first course is the core do you think

you're on the vault I know my brother is

skeptical he's done this before I need

proof rings booth

Rick lagina Craig tester and Dave

Blankenship may have just made one of

the most momentous discoveries in the

history of Oak Island they may have

found not only the original money pit

but also a mysterious wooden vault not

located in more than a century

okay let's surprise the hell out of them

Artie trigger they doing good

Rick was right for y'all surprise for

you

don't say anything till you look at it

okay

this is the core this the first course

is the core which was down the top this

is about from where what depth 140 feet

142 so look like concrete in it it does

look like concrete yep you're right the

odds-on is that that is cement yeah

that's you know like the top of a wood

vault is that what you're thinking yeah

why the grains running the opposite ways

through top side great we're coming

right down the side based on the

alignment of the wood grain found in the

core sample the team believes they

didn't simply find a piece of milled

wood from the top of the wooden vault

but from a portion of both the top where

the grain would run horizontally and the

side where the grain would run

vertically in other words they get the

equivalent of a bull's-eye does it say

what the official appearance of it was

yeah clay cement wood I mean it's

amazing that's exactly what was

described in 1897 where they got the

piece of parchment ostensibly the gold

chain - right and they describe that to

a tee clay cement wood and I think wow

geez Craig you nailed it this is great

guys I guess you couldn't ask for any

better he got cement wood fibers running

this way wood fibers running that way

right everybody since 1897 when that

vault was first found has been trying to

refine this and nobody has found it

Craig for the first time I've ever seen

him is over the moon about this and I

know my brother skeptically Lee he's

done this before I cannae brutha need

proof I need proof we were just on the

very edge

if we're on the outside you know this is

classic Oak Island right we're gonna

drill another one army which way all

four ways all six ways where any bets

next two feet shiny golden and you

clearly shortly after finding the

cement-covered wooden vault in 1897

William Chappell and his colleagues

continued drilling additional core

samples upon reaching a depth of 100

feet they were stopped by what they

believed to be a large heavy metal

object located directly beneath the

mysterious wood involved could it have

been a second treasure site one that's

contents were considered so priceless or

so dangerous that it had be encased in

metal the treasure hunters would never

know because before they could excavate

the site the

flooded with seawater from what appeared

to be yet another underground booby trap

the gigantic hole was filled in and

William Chappell and his colleagues went

home empty-handed okay let's go get us

another court right away yep let's go we

should take this to dance

the news that Rick Craig and Dave

Blankenship have made an incredible

discovery has reenergized the team on

Oak Island but did they really find not

only the original money pit but also the

mysterious Chappell vault I'll go get

dad see if he's up

so you gotta tell me one thing

what why you of all people are that

excited cold calculating scientific

detached analysis Craig why are you so

exciting it fits the story I mean you

know I I am a skeptic and many things

but and you know we got to see what what

Dan says but you know hey Dan we need

you to tell us what we found Rick

hopefully hope what's that look like

dan did a lot of work in the money pit

he punched a lot of holes with the old

churn drill he has a keen intellect and

a keen memory so he brings an asset that

we don't have like Rick lagina dan

Blankenship has spent nearly 50 years

determined to solve the mystery he has

spent thousands of hours drilling coring

and digging and is met with more than

his fair share of setbacks and bad luck

for him Oak Island is both an obsession

and a curse and obsession to find out

what lies buried here and a curse if he

should be forced to leave the island

empty-handed in the collection core or

something you can see some kind of

material around it here it's in here

we go that's for sure I find that would

very interesting because of the

difference this is this direction this

is that direction you've noticed that

I'm sure and this one here is in the

vertical yeah up and down

[Music]

you may have something chapel's long I'm

wondering is this the top of the vault

and we're hitting the side and we hit a

a post on the side

if this is chapels vault that's the

culmination of some 45 years work
you

know what your odds are in something I'm

after all these many years and so many

holes been put down yeah astronomical

really well I'll tell you one thing Dan

I told you we weren't giving up and

we're not gonna give up what he said oh

I think you have basis would you call it

optimism

okay today was a good day

on Oak Island information has been

gathered and progress has been made but

more than that faith has been renewed

make some core again bring it up bring

it all right for Marty lagina finding

the money pit means that all the years

of hard work and the millions of dollars

spent so far may all have been worth it

it's the encouragement we needed again

it always seems to happen on this bloody

Island you know what's the time you're

in the pits and you're ready to give up

and say let's go home

something happens to get you wired back

in the time will tell but I think this

is a small victory for Rick it means

that the 50 years he spent believing in

a dream may not have been in vain

hopefully when the next one comes up

we'll have something to look at it's

always been my hope and my dream to be

successful best-case scenario as to

what's down there is we actually

following the original money pit

that's incredible we've moved the dial

then on the Oak Island history so I'm

excited about that

but also to see what

own eyes that those old stories are real

but now there is much more work to do

finding the money pit is one thing

reaching and retrieving whatever lies at

the bottom is quite another and what

will the laginas and their partners

ultimately find an underground treasure

vault chests of gold priceless objects

and sacred artifacts or will it be

something so incredible and so powerful

that the elaborate way in which it was

hidden was meant to be taken as a

warning ready

here we go next time on the curse of Oak

Island there we go tell them what we're

on the side something we need to figure

the best way to take a look at that

cipher is the instruction on how to stop

the flood traps I still think the swamp

has something to tell us x marks the

spot we found another coin it could be

very significant looks like we've

definitely got something looks like it's

Knights Templar cross right now this

ends right here