12x06 - Hide and Seek

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...

- PETER: It must be something massive.
- Whoa!

That's been down
there a very long time.

- It's like it was buried.
- Yeah.

ALEX: I think that's
a Restall shaft.

If the Restalls are right, it
leads to the flood tunnel.

GARY: That's definitely it.

We believe there's
some source of metal

that's come in from the south.

That's where the original
Money Pit's supposed to be.

- TERRY: Look at that piece of wood.
- PETER: Wow.

I really feel we're
in a tunnel here.

This is it.

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,

man-made workings that
date to medieval times,

and a lead cross whose
origin may be connected

to 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.

♪ ♪

TERRY: Here it comes.

Yep!

What do we got, Terry?

- TERRY: 29.
- 29.

NARRATOR: As a new
morning of exploration

begins on Oak Island

for brothers Rick and
Marty Lagina and their team,

the anticipation for a
breakthrough discovery

that could solve a


has never been higher.

Okay.

Nice start to the
hole, eh, Steve?

STEVE: Yep.

Our target depth
is in around 120 feet

where we tested
the water samples.

And we got new data
now from Jan Francke

that says in around
that level, at 127 feet,

we potentially have
a structure or tunnel.

- Yeah.
- So we've got two pieces of data

and they're telling us

there's a man-made structure

of some sort at depth.

We have nothing in
the historical record

of any searcher
activity in this area.

So if we find something
here, that's really exciting.

- I agree, Charles.
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: One week ago,

while the team postponed
their core-drilling operation

in the Money Pit area

so that geoscientist Dr. Ian
Spooner could conduct

new groundwater tests for
evidence of precious metals...

JAN: And down she goes.

NARRATOR: ground
penetrating radar expert

Dr. Jan Francke inserted

a specially designed
radar device

into a previously drilled
borehole known as HN-16...

a borehole located

in a 30-by-15-foot
oval-shaped region

dubbed The Golden Egg...

where prior groundwater
testing identified a large source

of gold, silver and other metals

between 80 and


JAN: As we scroll down
the hole, we get this.

A discrete void space.

That's around 127
feet from the surface.

NARRATOR: Incredibly,

near the approximate
depth where traces

of precious metals
were detected,

Dr. Francke's radar device
identified a mysterious void.

This could be the
fabled offset chamber.

- [chuckles]
- JACK: Really?

JAN: Sure.

NARRATOR: This has
led the team to wonder

if they have located an
offset treasure chamber

connected to the
original Money Pit.

Between a little bit
of gold in the water

and a little bit of
wood in the water,

we need to pull something
out of the ground.

Little bit of solid gold,
little bit of solid silver, huh?

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Now, having
received Dr. Spooner's permission

to continue drilling
while he analyzes

the newly collected
water samples,

the team has begun
drilling borehole HN-15.5,

located in the northern
region of the Golden Egg

to verify the existence
of the mysterious void

and also determine
just what it may contain.

RICK: There's every reason
to pursue this potential target.

It's certainly in an area
that is incredibly interesting:

there's the Garden Shaft,

there's the flooding association
with the Garden Shaft,

there are the high metal
values deep underground.

And, of course, the hope is

that it will lead to
a long sought-after,

currently unknown,
fabulous treasure.

Let's hope that
this one bingos it.

- That's the plan, Terry.
- We got to get down to the anomaly.

Yep.

TERRY: We're
just getting started.

NARRATOR: As the
core-drilling operation

continues in the
Money Pit area...

- CRAIG: Hey, Billy.
- BILLY: Craig.

What are you feeling
down at the very bottom?

Well, it's... it's
some rocks there

- and, uh, clay.
- Okay.

NARRATOR: at Smith's Cove,

located nearly


Rick Lagina, along
with Craig Tester

and other members of the team,

are proceeding with
another critical excavation.

So we want to get
as deep as we can

looking for the flood tunnel.

- Yep.
- Okay.

NARRATOR: They are
hoping to locate and cut off

the legendary
stone-lined flood tunnel

that is believed to feed
seawater into the Money Pit,

a believed booby trap,
which has thwarted

all previous searchers
who attempted to recover

the fabled treasure vault
over the past 200 years...

and which the team believes
halted their own exploration

of the so-called Garden Shaft

when it was flooded
with salt water

at a depth of some


- Hey.
- Hey.

CRAIG: So he says
there are some rocks

down there, but... but not

focused like it
was a flood tunnel

at this point in time.

Okay, so here's what I think,

is... why don't we
go deeper first?

- You good with that?
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: Since the team began

excavating a massive
trench two weeks ago...

This has a bunch of
same-size cobbles.

GARY: Yeah.

RICK: That is the
description of the flood tunnel.

NARRATOR: they
have discovered

not only large cobble stones

matching the
reported description

of the flood tunnel...

- Is it concrete?
- Yep.

NARRATOR: but
also pieces of concrete

that may have been
mixed and poured

by Robert Restall and his
son, Bobby, in the 1960s

during a failed
attempt to plug up

the so-called vertical shaft:

a 32-foot-deep,
stone-lined feature

that the Restalls believed
was designed to act

as a shutoff valve for
the flood tunnel system.

CRAIG: If we can
find the vertical shaft

and dig down and
intercept the flood tunnel...

Hey, Billy.

Follow it up the hill,

then we can find out right
where the Money Pit is.

BILLY: I think we're
plenty far back on this side.

I'll take this bank off so
that I can see a little more.

Okay. Sounds good.

NARRATOR: As Rick Lagina
and Craig Tester supervise

the large-scale excavation...

GARY: Well, Alex,
let's take advantage

- of this tide going out, mate.
- ALEX: I agree.

NARRATOR: more
than 50 yards away,

along the shoreline...

It's been quite a while
since we've detected

these beaches. We've
got the Money Pit

right up there.

- Could be anything.
- Mm-hmm.

NARRATOR: metal
detection expert Gary Drayton

and Alex Lagina are searching

for additional clues
that could help solve

the Oak Island mystery.

When people would
have been slipping

and sliding on these
rocks, losing artifacts,

the currents would have
pushed all the artifacts this way.

That's what I'm hoping.

- Let's hope they're on this side.
- Okay, mate.

- See what we can get.
- Let's get stuck in.

- Okay. -Zigzag along the shoreline.
- [detector beeping]

NARRATOR: In recent years,

the team has not only recovered
metal ship spikes in this area

that predate the discovery
of the Money Pit in 1795,

but also the


which may actually be connected

to the Christian military
order of the Knights Templar.

Got plenty of places for
an artifact to get trapped,

that is for sure.

♪ ♪

[detector beeps]

- There's a hit.
- You've got that right, mate.

- And it's in that area there.
- There.

Underneath this giant rock.

Yeah, see what's
trapped in the rocks.

The problem is,

you have to dig
quickly because it keeps

- filling back in.
- Yeah.

Let's see.

[grunts]

I mean...

Ooh. It's caving in.

- Sorry, mate.
- It's okay.

How does something
get down that deep?

With these rocks? I mean,
it's almost like it was buried.

Yeah.

I say we bring some help
and-and expand the hole

and dig it out.

We just need some
more guys, more shovels.

I agree. I can't dig
any deeper than that.

- Yeah.
- I'm calling my Uncle Rick.

RICK: So a text comes
in from Alex, my nephew,

and it's hard not
to get enthused.

How can you not be excited?

It's a treasure
hunt, for gosh sakes.

There might be something
here beneath our feet

that will speak eloquently
to what happened here.

I don't care if we have
to dig it ten feet down.

We're gonna find
what's down that hole.

So this is your little
pet project, huh?

Yeah.

Little is not the
right word for it.

It really could be
anything, mate.

And it's still there,
that's the good news.

Okay, we need to get
this water out of the hole.

Yep. Exactly.

GARY: It's draining
work, isn't it?

ALEX: Yep.

[pump sucking water]

RICK: The target in
Smith's Cove... I think,

my gosh, how did you
even detect it at that depth?

I mean, it's, it's incredible.

And we're two, three feet down.

My only thought is,
it must be quite large.

ALEX: Again.

ALEX: This is it here.

We just need to dig this out.

- It's moving. -GARY: Ooh.
- ALEX: Here we go.

- We got it.
- GARY: Oh, mate.

- You're getting it.
- [grunts] There it is.

That would be it.

Ooh-wee!

We're gonna need a bigger pouch.

- ALEX: There it is.
- GARY: That would be it.

Let's see. You're getting it.

ALEX: That's it, there.

It looks like an iron plate.

There.

GARY: We're gonna
need a bigger pouch.

[laughter]

NARRATOR: It is an exciting
moment for Rick Lagina

and other members of
the Oak Island team...

Yeah, I don't know
what it is. I have no idea.

NARRATOR: as they
have just unearthed a large,

heavily encrusted metal object

beneath the shoreline
of Smith's Cove.

GARY: Some kind of

big iron conglomerate
coming off a wreck.

- Mm-hmm.
- How the heck did that

make its way down there?

That's been down there

- a very long time.
- Oh, yeah.

NARRATOR: A large
iron conglomeration?

When iron objects are
submerged in salt water

for long periods of
time, the metal corrodes

and can collect
smaller, nearby objects,

creating one large,
solid concretion.

Could Gary Drayton be correct

that this concretion may
be related to a shipwreck?

If so, then just what kinds
of artifacts might it contain?

And was it buried several
feet beneath the shoreline

by a natural process?

Or, and perhaps
most importantly,

does it contain valuable
clues that compelled someone

to deliberately conceal it?

GARY: Emma, back at the lab,

she always scans these artifacts

to see if there's
anything else attached.

Could be a coin or
two attached to it.

Could be, I mean,
I-I'm just glad we got it

- out of the hole, you know.
- ALEX: Yeah.

RICK: Just the simple fact

that that was at that depth,

especially in salt water,
is quite astounding.

It could be something

that speaks to this mystery.

But to understand what it
is, there might have to be

some fairly aggressive
physical cleaning of the item.

And I think it gives us
new hope for the beach.

ALEX: Yeah. If
something this big

stayed hidden this long,
what else is hidden?

GARY: Exactly.

RICK: Kudos to all three of you

for not giving up.

Okay, let's get that to the lab.

Get this all back in
and go find some more.

- ALEX: Okay.
- PETER: Sounds like a plan.

NARRATOR: Later
that afternoon...

- CHARLES: Hey, Rick.
- RICK: Hey.

Hi, Rick. How you doing?

Um, the next core
will tell the tale, right?

- This is it.
- NARRATOR: Rick Lagina

arrives in the Money Pit
area after being alerted

that the core drilling
operation in borehole HN-15.5

is about to reach
a depth of 127 feet,

the same depth where
a mysterious chamber

has been detected by
ground-penetrating radar

in the so-called Golden Egg.

Jan Francke's GPR anomaly

is gonna be on
display, hopefully.

I guess we'll know
in the next core.

We'll know in the next core.

If there is a structure at 127,

that's a whole new ball game.

Proof's in the pudding.

The hope is that it is
an actual chamber...

Here we go.

Cut into the underground

to hold something, and
keep something safe

for a long period of time.

TERRY: This is it. This is it.

- RICK: To me, there's significant hope here.
- Thank you.

RICK: There may
be a find that does

the very thing I have
long sought to do,

and that is hold a piece
of evidence in your hand

that says the old story is real.

CHARLES: 129.

TERRY: Let's have a look.

Well...

you're seeing what I'm seeing.



Yeah, we got 110% recovery.

And really, this is very
much in situ material.

Just what you'd expect
to see at this depth. Sadly.

There's just, you
know, there's a dearth

of structure, unfortunately.

RICK: I think Jan
Francke interpreted

as best he could.

It's not here, unfortunately.

I'm disappointed
we did not locate

a void in proximity with
what the GPR was telling us.

It's frustrating.

But I still believe, 100%.

If this was easy, it would have
been solved 229 years ago.

There's nothing easy
about Oak Island,

and I think we've all
come to that realization...

- Absolutely.
- As every searcher before you has come to that.

But the good news is,
we've covered some ground

and we know the
treasure can't be there.

- Yeah.
- But we have to put X's

- on the ground in the Money Pit...
- Right.

For the possibility of digging

the caissons later this year.

TERRY: Yes.

Well, we didn't find it.

That's a disappointment.

But it is a fact that
metals are in the waters

in and around the Money Pit.

Key metals that are
associated with treasure.

So we need to hear
some more data.

What I'm hoping to hear is,

where is it coming from?

It's not a win, but
maybe it's a tie.

RICK: Maybe it's a tie.

I know for a fact the story

- is still here.
- Oh, yeah.

RICK: So, keep at it, stay
watchful and see what happens.

- CHARLES: Thanks, Rick.
- TERRY: Thanks, Rick.

RICK: See you.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

RICK: Today, we're going to
have a very frank discussion

about this water-testing program

that has been a big part
of the search agenda.

NARRATOR: Rick,
Marty and Craig Tester

have called a meeting
in the w*r room

with other members of
the team at the request

of geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner

and his colleagues,
chemist Dr. Matt Lukeman

and hydrogeologist
Dr. Fred Michel.

I think we can all
sense the importance

of this meeting today.

NARRATOR: After analyzing
new groundwater samples

that were collected
from boreholes

in the Money Pit area,

Drs. Spooner, Lukeman and Michel

have prepared a new
report regarding the traces

of precious metals that have
been repeatedly detected

between 80 and


in areas known as the
Golden Egg and the Baby Blob.

Gentlemen, we'll
turn it over to you.

So, with all the
work we've done,

there are some interesting
results in the data.

I've got a little
PowerPoint presentation.

Steve?

This is the Baby Blob.

Where the X is, is
where initially we thought

the metals might be coming from,

because the red arrows
show us water movement,

and all the red
circles and gold circles

show us high metal values.

And traditionally,
when we get metals,

we trace back to
source, upstream.

That was part of
why we wanted to look

in the Golden Egg,
you know, that area.

- Mm-hmm.
- Where we're having problems...

being really
disappointing for us... um,

are, all the other
wells to the north

show no anomalous results.

The bottom line is,

is we don't think
there's any metal

to the north of the Baby Blob.

It's not in the Golden Egg area.

We've done our work, and
we have no evidence of it.

So, caisson in the Baby
Blob or close proximity?

No.

I don't have that
confidence right now.

Marty? Craig?

Go ahead, Craig.

Um...

Well, I'm still
trying to digest it all.

MARTY: Look, y-you know,

I mean, I'm trying to
make sense out of this,

- as we all are.
- Right.

The data's remarkably
inconsistent, in my mind.

It's actually
consistently inconsistent.

MARTY: Right?

I don't know where
to start, actually.

I mean, we have
ping-ponged around this

now for three years, almost.

Ian, y-you know, I-I
don't really see why

you're still convinced
there's metals down there.

Because how do metals
play hide-and-seek like that?

IAN: I understand
your frustration,

but I'm frustrated, too.

Yeah.

It's discouraging.

MARTY: How do metals
play hide-and-seek like that?

IAN: I understand
your frustration,

but I'm frustrated, too.

NARRATOR: It is
a shocking moment

for Rick, Marty and members
of the Oak Island team.

It's discouraging.

NARRATOR: According
to the most recent

groundwater tests conducted
by Drs. Spooner, Lukeman

and Michel in the
Money Pit area,

the high traces of gold,
silver and other metals

that were previously
identified in the Golden Egg

and Baby Blob are no
longer being detected.

MARTY: Well, let
me ask you this, Ian,

you guys were super
excited about tin,

and I don't see
anything about tin today.

So, I mean, I'm trying to,

I'm trying to pull
this together.

I mean, what happened to tin?

Well, we haven't
seen tin this year.

MARTY: Right. It disappeared.

But if it was there

in eye-raising amounts,

it's still there in
eye-raising amounts,

you just can't see
it anymore, right?

IAN: The inconsistencies
in the water

are... every time we drill,

we dilute the sample.

MARTY: We're looking for
a culprit, and we're blaming it

on drilling, we're blaming
it on poor old Mike.

I don't think that's it.

There's something else or...

something badly
wrong with the data?

The samples were taken, I
think, in a defensible manner.

So, is this human error?

Um, I don't think so.

MARTY: You guys are scientists,

you understand probability
and things like that.

Is it even statically likely

that there's something
of immense value

in that intensely drilled area?

Is there a big chunk of
metal down there still?

We certainly do
have some anomalies

showing up in the water

that we cannot explain
as being natural.

So, there must be some.

Where is that?

We have some data to suggest

that when we were drilling sort
of around Hedden and Chappell,

metal started to
show up north of that.

And perhaps the
area of the Baby Blob

was accepting water
that was high in metal.

They're coming from
a traditional area,

which is around Hedden,
Chappell, somewhere around that.

That's really close to
where the original Money Pit

- is supposed to be.
- You're absolutely right.

NARRATOR: Because of
numerous dig operations

conducted by
searchers between 1795

and the late 19th century,

which were all thwarted
by the flood tunnel

originating at Smith's Cove,

the location of the original
Money Pit was eventually lost.

However, some believe
that a 163-foot-deep shaft

built by William
Chappell in 1931,

and a 124-foot-deep structure

dug just to the east by
Gilbert Hedden in 1937,

may have encompassed
the original treasure shaft.

Curiously, both the
Chappell and Hedden shafts

produced compelling
evidence of man-made tools

and artifacts that
predated 1795.

But neither resulted in
the recovery of valuables.

Is it possible that both
just missed the treasure?

And now, through repeated
groundwater testing,

the Oak Island team may be close

to locating the fabled riches.

STEVE: This is the exact
area where, a few years ago,

F-4 tested consistently
for both gold and silver.

And we've had maroon till
in the Money Pit and on Lot 5.

- I would put a borehole in the area.
- Yeah.

- Good choice.
- IAN: Yeah.

The one thing
that is for certain

is there's metal down there.

Nothing has me
deviating from that.

It's just, where is the
source of those metals?

NARRATOR: Although
Dr. Spooner and his colleagues

obtained numerous trace
readings for precious metals

in the Baby Blob
and the Golden Egg,

it is a scientific fact
that, three years ago,

high traces of gold and silver
were also in borehole F-4,

located 50 feet
to the southwest.

And curiously, this
is also the same area

where the team
collected soil samples

almost 100 feet deep

that matched a mysterious
mortar-like material

unearthed from a stone
foundation on Lot 5,

located on the western
side of Oak Island.

I am very disappointed
with the lack

of being able to
put an X on the map.

But again, the metals are
there. They're still there.

So, we can't stop.

F-4 had very high
concentrations of gold and silver.

That's significant.

Trying to understand the
complexity of the Money Pit,

it's absolutely,
mind-numbingly difficult.

But I still believe that
something happened here.

And so, the dartboard,
if you will, still exists.

We just have to
keep drilling to find it.

Mm-hmm.

And we have to keep moving
forward, Sempre Avanti.

MARTY: I'm with you, Rick.

Let's reconvene after
everybody takes a deep breath

and sees what this means.

- I agree.
- All right. Bye, everybody.

Thank you. Take care.

NARRATOR: Following
the meeting in the w*r room...

This hole is important and
interesting top to bottom.

NARRATOR: as members of the
team begin drilling a new borehole

known as D.5-7.4

positioned just several
feet to the northeast

of borehole F-4 in
the Money Pit area...

nearly half a mile
away on Lot 5,

located on the western
side of the island...

FIONA: These rocks
seem really out of place.

Especially when you see
them in relation to this area.

NARRATOR: Peter
Fornetti joins Ethan Green

and Fiona Steele as
they continue investigating

the large stone foundation
near the shoreline.

This whole area
is really important

because we found
a lot of things here.

So maybe we explore those first.

NARRATOR: They're
currently investigating

a recently discovered section
of the mysterious feature,

which has yielded numerous
stunning discoveries

over the past two years.

In addition to the
mortar-like material

that matches soil samples
from deep in the Money Pit area

near borehole F-4,

they have also found

a cut, 17th-century
silver British coin

as well as a button
bearing a starburst design

and a lead barter token,

which, just like the lead cross
that was found at Smith's Cove,

may also date back
to the 14th century.

Hey, guys?

I think I've loosened enough
soil up around this rock

that if you thought
there was any way

you could move it or roll it,

then that will allow
me access to the floor.

And I'm dying to see
what might be down there.

- We can give it a shot, that's for sure.
- We can give it a go, yeah.

- FIONA: Okay.
- ETHAN: Let's try.

Well, it's...

- PETER: Watch your foot.
- FIONA: That's great.

Thank you, guys.

Oh, nice.

I am finding artifacts galore.

-[chuckles] -FIONA:
Oh h*! Nice shard.

Oh, I see that from here.

- That was right underneath the rock.
- Mm-hmm.

This is not a very big shard.

So, we're finding all sorts
of different things in here.

T-That's probably... You're
looking closer to 1780s.

- Okay.
- Mm.

It fits the Oak Island timeline.

It's pre-discovery
of the Money Pit.

- FIONA: It's really exciting.
- Yeah, it is. -Yeah.

FIONA: The structure itself
has pretty well confounded us

right from the beginning.

It's almost like the feature
that just keeps on giving.

So, we're trying to
figure out what exactly

this was and who was here.

And I think the
deeper down we go,

we might get more answers
as to exactly what that feature is.

It could be hiding something

that we're not
aware of at this point.

And I've got a big
pocket of charcoal

that's stuck under here, too.

That totally shows us

that man put that rock
there for some reason.

But that also
shows that we never

- got down to the bottom of this.
- Hmm.

FIONA: This is
also where we found

that Money Pit soil
from 104 feet down.

I'm finding lots
of bits of brick.

- Oh, yeah?
- FIONA: I've got mammal bone.

Really, a mishmash of stuff.

- And it really is all coming out from between these rocks.
- Wow.

FIONA: That really has
to make you think about,

"What was this for?"

- And pre-discovery of the Money Pit.
- Yeah.

FIONA: This whole structure
would've been buried prior to that.

It potentially has
clues not just for Lot 5,

but for the Money Pit as well.

FIONA: Yeah. I
would agree with you.

Hopefully we can find
more puzzle pieces.

Yeah, I hope so, too.

PETER: All right,
let's get back to work.

FIONA: Perfect.

NARRATOR: As a new
morning begins on Oak Island...

MIKE: Well, that's good.

NARRATOR: while the
drilling operation continues

in the Money Pit area...

RICK: You know, I-I was
actually part of this find.

And I have no idea what
it represents, though.

So, let's figure
out what it means.

NARRATOR: Rick
Lagina and Gary Drayton

join archeologist Laird Niven

and archeometallurgist
Emma Culligan

in the Oak Island laboratory.

What was most
curious about it to me

is it was just
heavily encrusted.

NARRATOR: Over
the past two days,

Emma and Laird
have been analyzing

the large iron object
that was discovered

some four feet
underground at Smith's Cove

and have successfully removed

the corroded materials
from its surface.

It was too big and too
heavy for the CT scanner.

So, we went low tech and
did a hammer and a chisel.

We just were kind
of caught off guard,

- because this is not what we expected from that big lump.
- No, yeah.

LAIRD: It's a
cast-iron stove door.

It's a beautiful
design, I will say that.

Yes. I find the
design quite unique.

And I like that, that
starburst design,

because you found
that button on Lot 5

that had that starburst design.

NARRATOR: An
iron door from a stove

bearing a starburst design,

similar to the potentially
medieval button

that was found in 2023 in
the stone feature on Lot 5?

Could that mean
that these artifacts

are in some way
related to one another?

GARY: Was this a popular
design on stoves back in the day?

Hopefully, some research will
show us what that comes from.

But Emma, what can you tell
us in terms of the elements?

Um, there were a few
pieces that were embedded

in some of the concretion.

So, I have those that I scanned.

NARRATOR: Prior
to their meeting,

Emma scanned smaller
fragments of the stove door

using the X-ray Fluorescence
Spectrometer, or XRF,

which uses gamma rays to
determine not only the elements

that make up an
object's composition,

but can also help
determine their age.

EMMA: It is cast iron.

So, cast-iron stoves, they
can go back to mid-1700s.

But the manganese content in it

- does push it towards more mid-1800s.
- LAIRD: Yeah.

GARY: But four feet down,
that had been there a long time.

So, probably early searcher.
But where does it come from?

Four feet down in Smith's
Cove, that's strange.

It's possible that these
stove parts found here

were left as markers by
people who had come searching.

Again, I round
back to my beliefs

that there was an
effort made by a group

or an entity

or a consortium of people

who had a specific
agenda, long ago,

and they hid their work,
they hid their efforts.

We need to find out
the design of this stove.

And so, hopefully, that will

help us get
closer to solving it.

This story is complex,
and it needs to be told.

Whether it be the searcher story

or the original
depositional story,

it's all important.

But Gary, we need
to go find more.

- Yep.
- All right. Good luck.

- RICK: Thank you both.
- EMMA: All right. Thank you.

NARRATOR: Later that day...

- RICK: Hey, Craig.
- CRAIG: Hey.

I'm hoping we can
find the vertical shaft.

NARRATOR: Rick
Lagina joins Craig Tester

and members of the
team at Smith's Cove

as they continue
excavating in search

of the legendary flood tunnel
believed to feed seawater

into the original Money Pit.

If the, uh, Restalls were right,

I mean, it led down
to the flood tunnel.

- Right.
- CRAIG: So it'd be a good place to dig deep.

I'm gonna check
it out from up top.

If there is some
sort of connection

between Smith's Cove
and the Money Pit,

then we should see

something that was
built by human hands.

It's just a matter of
digging as deep as possible

over a considerable distance.

CRAIG: What are
you seeing, Rick?

It's a board.

But I can't tell what's
underneath of it.

Okay.

RICK: We are in the
area of the vertical shaft.

It's where the Restalls put
wooden forms down the hole.

They poured in concrete,

their forms blew out,
and they lost the hole.

[grunts]

Well, here we are at
roughly the depth suggested

it should be, and
we're finding wood.

This could be the shaft
that we're looking for.

Hey, guys, there's an old
shaft or something here.

Should be right down there.

Yeah. Let's check where
the wood was found.

RICK: It takes more than one
large board to make a wall of a shaft.

We want to get Gary
down there to metal detect.

Maybe he can find
fasteners or some other proof

of this shaft construction.

[metal detector beeping]

RICK: Sounds good.

I'll pinpoint, mate.

It's here, Alex.

Ooh, bollocks.

What the heck is this?

GARY: What the heck is this?

NARRATOR: While
digging several yards

inland from the beach
at Smith's Cove...

- GARY: Looks like a big bolt, doesn't it?
- ALEX: Yep.

- RICK: Modern?
- ALEX: I think probably.

NARRATOR: members
of the Oak Island team have

just made a curious
discovery while searching

for the remains of the
so-called vertical shaft...

Okay, mate. I'll
put it in the bag.

NARRATOR: a


which the Restall
family believed was

a shutoff valve for the
man-made flood tunnel

that feeds seawater into
the original Money Pit.

[metal detector beeping]

And we've got
another hit here, Alex.

Okay.

GARY: Just there.

Ah, I see it.

- ALEX: Modern nail.
- Modern nail.

ALEX: That's what makes
me think that's the Restall Shaft.

GARY: Yeah.

NARRATOR: A modern nail?

Could it offer an important clue

that the team may
be close to finding

the wooden frame or forms

built by the Restall
Family in 1961

when they poured concrete
into the vertical shaft?

If so, they may also be
on the verge of locating

the notorious
man-made flood tunnel.

Coming down.

GARY: This must be all
over the place, seriously.

Yeah.

As I suspected, a modern nail.

- ALEX: Modern nail?
- GARY: Yep. Another modern nail.

- ALEX: Okay.
- Put it in the bag?

Yep.

So as we're digging
in Smith's Cove,

we found some hints

that we might be
in the right place.

These traces of the
Restalls' activity to me

are saying that
we're getting close.

[beeping]

GARY: It's here, Alex.

Oh, is that it, you
just pulled it out there?

- Oh, yeah, that is it.
- Yep.

GARY: Broken spike of some kind.

Rounded, beveled point.

- RICK: Modern?
- GARY: I don't know.

It's a tough one to tell.

- We can get this tested.
- CRAIG: Okay.

- Why don't you bag it?
- GARY: Yep.

If you confirm the
location of the vertical shaft,

you can hopefully find
the flood tunnel itself.

Because it's a direct
connection to the treasure.

There are clues to the
location of the Money Pit

- here in Smith's Cove.
- BILLY: Yeah.

And I think we've proved that.

- Yep.
- CRAIG: Yeah.

I think the next five, ten feet

is gonna give us
some information.

And digging the shaft
you guys just found.

I agree.

- Yeah.
- So we just got to keep digging.

- Yeah. -GARY: Well said.
- RICK: All right.

NARRATOR: While
the excavation proceeds

at Smith's Cove...

PETER: Well, this is
a pretty exciting hole.

We could be very, very close

- to the original Money Pit.
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: in
the Money Pit area,

other members of the
team continue monitoring

the drilling operation
in borehole D.5-7.4,

located in an area

where the team's
latest groundwater tests

have identified high-trace
evidence of precious metals

more than 100 feet underground.

- We're gonna take this one down deep.
- Yeah.

We'll all have our
eyes peeled around



Because we could be
in the original backfill

- of the Money Pit itself.
- That's right.

Another core coming.

Thanks, Dallin. What do we got?

This is 98.

- 98? Thank you.
- 98.

- Hey, Mike.
- You see something peeking out the end there, Mike?

Yeah, man, we've got some wood.

Whoa. What?

- CHARLES: Yes, we do.
- TERRY: Look at that.

That's what I'm talking about.

- That's really interesting, Mike.
- Yeah.

- That's excellent.
- Yeah.

So that right
there, Terry, is 102.

My casing drove it deeper.

- I see.
- I could feel the end of the wood.

- So, that's when I stopped.
- Oh, wow.

Terry, do you think
that's a top of a tunnel?

TERRY: I'm not sure,
but what intrigues me

is that's a piece of wood
below in situ material.

CHARLES: This
could be promising.

NARRATOR: Wood
encountered 102 feet deep

and below in situ,
or undisturbed, soil?

This is just a broken run.

We've got the second
half coming right now.

NARRATOR: Could
surveyor Steve Guptill

be correct that the
team has found a tunnel?

If so, could it be connected

to the original Money Pit?

- What do you got?
- Uh, 108.

- 108.
- 108.

Oh, wow.

CHARLES: We got more wood.

TERRY: Absolutely.

Look at this.

I mean, this
potentially could be the,

the bottom of the tunnel.

- Yeah.
- TERRY: I mean,

we've got a lot of wood in place

from 99 to 108.

So this could be
potentially a big tunnel.

- Definitely, that's approximately...
- Okay.

An eight- or nine-foot tunnel.

PETER: Wow.

- Hey, guys.
- Scott, how you doing?

- Hi, Rick.
- Hey.

NARRATOR: In the Money Pit area,

Rick Lagina and Scott Barlow

arrive after being alerted

that evidence
of a nine-foot-tall

wooden tunnel has
been recovered from more

than 100 feet deep
in borehole D.5-7.4.

So here we are at a
very interesting hole.

NARRATOR: A borehole
located in the area

and at the same
approximate depth

where the team has
detected high trace evidence

of precious metals
through groundwater testing.

TERRY: Everything got very,

very interesting around


I really feel we're in a
tunnel here, no question.

That's one more
thing that reinforces

the importance of this area.

We have tunnels coming
to a singular point...

- here... of interest.
- TERRY: Yeah.

Where did it come from?
Where does it go to?

We're not sure, but we
could be in the vicinity

of the Money Pit.

An unknown tunnel at a
previously undiscovered depth

is incredibly interesting.

And when you find
something in the Money Pit

that is unexplainable,
perhaps it has to do

with the original mystery.

But at this point,
you have to make

the right decisions
in order to exploit it.

Let's finish the hole,

take it down to bedrock,
and see if we find

anything else that
might explain these high

values of gold and
silver in the water.

So keep your eyes
and wits about you

as you investigate the cores.

But let's wait for the data.

- Yeah.
- Right on.

MARTY: Every year

we think this is the
year, we really do.

And I am convinced by the
data that it's worth continuing

to search here, but for
something that happened

hundreds of years ago

about a treasure
that is buried deep,

it ain't gonna be easy.

And here we have an
indication of something unknown,

so that could be yet another
sign that we're getting close.

So keep watching the rig
and we'll see what happens.

- No question.
- All right?

We'll stay on task, Rick.

- Thanks.
- Thank you.

- See ya.
- Thanks, guys.

NARRATOR: For a week that
began with discouraging setbacks,

Rick, Marty, Craig
and their team

have learned that
their faith in one another

and their determination

to build upon the efforts of
those who came before them

may soon lead to
the ultimate discovery.

But as they dig deeper,

perhaps the greatest question
that remains to be answered

is can they overcome
the mysterious forces

that have guarded
Oak Island's secrets

for more than two centuries?

Next time on The
Curse of Oak Island...

The metal detecting
calvary has arrived.

I've learned
everything from him.

[beeping]

-Oh! -What is this beauty?

This looks like it's
got a design on it.

- How old could it be?
- Old.

Yeah.

STEVE: It's the center
of our next borehole.

It hasn't really been
all that explored.

RICK: Could be anything there.

- TERRY: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- CHARLES: We've got a lot of wood.

- This looks like the vault.
- Really?

This could be the one.