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There is an island
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in the North Atlantic
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where people have been looking
for an incredible treasure
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for more than 200 years.
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Hold back!
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Oh!
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To date,
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six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
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‐And according to
legend... ‐ ‐Whoa!
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One more will
have to die... ‐
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before the treasure
can be found.
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Treasure?
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Curses?
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Sounds like the stuff that would
ignite the imagination
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of your average teenage boy.
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And that's exactly what happened
more than a half a century ago,
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when two brothers‐‐
Rick and Marty Lagina‐‐
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read an article
in Reader's Digest magazine
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that changed their lives
forever.
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00:00:51,885 --> 00:00:55,198
But is there really a vast
and incredible treasure
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buried somewhere on Oak Island?
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And could that treasure
really be guarded
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by a deadly curse?
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Well, that is...
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what we'll try and find out.
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On this small island
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just off the coast
of Mahone Bay,
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the Lagina brothers‐‐
Rick and Marty‐‐
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along with their partners,
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have invested thousands of hours
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and millions of dollars
to find a treasure,
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and in doing so,
solve a centuries‐old mystery.
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We hope to find the treasure.
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Either find
some fabled treasure,
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or figure out
what happened here.
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Either one of those
is a success.
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That's what we're hoping for.
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Mine is, find the one thing
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that opens the door on the first
page of this wonderful story.
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Find the one thing.
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00:02:08,545 --> 00:02:10,523
But believe it or not,
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even with all the heavy
equipment they've brought in,
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and despite finding a number
of compelling clues,
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and even several
intriguing artifacts,
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not one piece
of genuine treasure
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has ever been found
on Oak Island.
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Even after centuries
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of digging and drilling,
and after the loss
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of no fewer than six lives,
there has never been any proof
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00:02:34,321 --> 00:02:37,091
that a treasure
was ever buried there.
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So then, why do the Laginas
and their partners keep at it?
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According to legend,
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the story began one night
in 1795,
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when 18‐year‐old Daniel McGinnis
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noticed strange lights
coming from nearby Oak Island.
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Deciding to row across
the frigid waters of Mahone Bay
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to investigate,
he brings with him two friends‐‐
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Anthony Vaughan and John Smith.
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After reaching the island,
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the three young men race
toward the source
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of the strange lights.
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But what they find
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when they get there
is equally mysterious‐‐
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a ship's block and tackle
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hanging from the limb
of an oak tree,
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and just beneath it,
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a large, circular depression
in the ground,
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as if something was recently
buried and then covered up.
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Daniel McGinnis
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had known about the folklore
of pirates being in the area,
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so he was suspicious that maybe
there was a treasure here.
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They came back the next day
and started digging.
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They started digging down,
and they found a row of logs.
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And every ten feet,
they kept digging,
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and they went down
to as far as 30 feet.
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00:03:58,613 --> 00:04:01,884
And they found putty
and charcoal,
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and figured that there was
something to this mystery.
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00:04:04,411 --> 00:04:07,890
Convinced that
no one would go to the trouble
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00:04:07,914 --> 00:04:10,935
of constructing such
an elaborate underground pit
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unless it was to bury something
of tremendous value,
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for the next nine years,
they dug deeper and deeper,
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until, in 1804, when they had
reached a depth of 90 feet,
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they made
a remarkable discovery.
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One that seemed
to confirm their belief
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that they were on the brink of
finding something extraordinary.
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There,
embedded in the wooden platform,
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was a large,
rectangular slab of granite
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on which was carved
a number of strange symbols,
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almost like
Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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00:04:49,623 --> 00:04:52,059
But when
they pulled the stone up,
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they were met
with another surprise.
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The hole they dug quickly
flooded with seawater,
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as if by removing the stone,
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they had sprung an
ingeniously‐designed booby trap.
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The event thwarted
all subsequent attempts
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to dig in the area,
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which was now known
as "the Money Pit."
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For the next 200 years,
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flooding would hamper
any attempt
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to uncover
buried treasure there.
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Until the flooding problem
is solved,
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there is very little likelihood
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that any treasure
will be found there.
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When the symbols on
the stone slab were later translated,
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it was believed to read,
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"Forty feet below
two million pounds lie buried."
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But many Oak Island theorists
weren't so certain
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this translation was accurate.
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After all, who said it was meant
to be translated into English?
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French, Spanish,
Portuguese pirates were known
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to frequent these islands
ever since the 1600s.
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Some believed the translation
offered instructions
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on how
to shut off the booby traps,
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while others insisted
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the symbols were placed there
as a deadly curse,
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daring anyone who continued
the search for the treasure
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to proceed
at the risk of their life.
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There's been stories
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of the curse of Oak Island
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going way back,
even before 1795.
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People believe
this island is cursed,
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that if you get
a little too close to the truth,
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to the treasure,
your life was in danger.
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We don't know how curses work
or if they work.
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Is there some kind
of metaphysical power?
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00:06:36,479 --> 00:06:38,374
Or is it the power
of suggestion?
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Perhaps it's self‐fulfilling.
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Somebody hears about the curse,
and so, it has effect.
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Maybe you're not
a superstitious person,
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you don't believe in curses,
but just,
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it's not unusual
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that even if you think
something's impossible,
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still a lot of emotions
are just driven
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00:06:57,500 --> 00:06:59,478
through unconscious processes.
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00:06:59,502 --> 00:07:01,397
And knowing
that you're in a place
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that is cursed might make you
feel bad and uneasy.
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00:07:06,843 --> 00:07:11,073
So when we talk
about a curse on Oak Island,
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is the curse manifested in some
sort of supernatural element,
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or do people just feel
that their luck isn't there?
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The island has a long history
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of something happening
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just when you're on the cusp
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of retrieving the treasure
or getting the answers.
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00:07:28,782 --> 00:07:32,094
But were the
stories of curses justified?
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After all, what good is a curse
without a victim?
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That question
was brutally answered
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on a hot summer's day in 1861.
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There was a man
that was working at the Money Pit
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with a steam boiler.
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The boiler overpressurized
and exploded...
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and apparently,
scalded him to death and injured
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00:07:55,684 --> 00:07:57,244
a few others.
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Unfortunately,
we don't know his name
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because the death records
weren't kept
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until 1864 in the province.
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On March 26, 1897,
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tragedy struck again,
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when 47‐year‐old
Maynard Kaiser,
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00:08:15,829 --> 00:08:19,642
while working for the island's
new owner, Frederick Blair,
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00:08:19,666 --> 00:08:24,689
became Oak Island's
second human casualty.
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They had a pit nearby
the Money Pit
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that they were using
for fresh water.
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And they would put the buckets
down there and bring them up.
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And one of the buckets
had become disconnected,
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so Maynard Kaiser went down
on the rope
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to reconnect the bucket.
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And as they were coming back up,
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the weight of the water in the
bucket and the additional weight
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from Maynard caused the rope
to unspool.
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‐
‐And he fell to his death,
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some 80 feet down.
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The aftermath
of this unfortunate incident
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is that many of the workers,
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being quite superstitious,
it is said,
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refused to go back down
in the pits.
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In fact, they quit their jobs,
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and work came to a standstill
on the island.
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Maynard Kaiser's
body was never recovered,
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as if devoured
by the Money Pit itself.
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Oak Island now had a curse,
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and its second taste
of human blood.
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But was there a treasure?
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00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:39,513
And, if so, who buried it there?
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00:09:39,537 --> 00:09:42,516
What group of people had
the kind of skills
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00:09:42,540 --> 00:09:44,351
needed to booby‐trap
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something buried at least
ten stories underground?
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For many,
the answer was simple...
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pirates.
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00:09:58,306 --> 00:10:01,994
On a humid summer day in 1969,
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Oak Island land owner and
treasure hunter, Fred Nolan,
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00:10:04,646 --> 00:10:07,208
makes a remarkable discovery.
192
00:10:07,232 --> 00:10:10,628
While investigating the island's
triangle‐shaped swamp,
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he unearths compelling evidence
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00:10:13,404 --> 00:10:17,176
that a large ship might have
been buried there.
195
00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,554
Fred actually retrieved
ship artifacts from the swamp.
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00:10:20,578 --> 00:10:24,100
There's was a ship's mast,
there was ship's scuppers.
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00:10:24,124 --> 00:10:26,352
Did he suspect there was a ship?
198
00:10:26,376 --> 00:10:29,063
The answer would almost
certainly have to be "yes."
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00:10:29,087 --> 00:10:32,441
The find serves to confirm
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00:10:32,465 --> 00:10:35,569
what Fred Nolan has believed
for some time:
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00:10:35,593 --> 00:10:38,948
That the Oak Island swamp
is man‐made,
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00:10:38,972 --> 00:10:44,120
and that it was created
to hide a large sailing ship.
203
00:10:44,144 --> 00:10:46,372
But why?
204
00:10:46,396 --> 00:10:48,624
Well, the main thing
that supports the idea
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00:10:48,648 --> 00:10:51,710
that Oak Island was two islands
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00:10:51,734 --> 00:10:55,005
is that one end of the island
is made of granite,
207
00:10:55,029 --> 00:10:59,135
and the other is sandstone,
limestone, crumbly rocks.
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00:10:59,159 --> 00:11:02,179
They're two completely
different compositions
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00:11:02,203 --> 00:11:04,098
on one end of the island
and the other.
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00:11:04,122 --> 00:11:06,517
So it‐it almost seems
like they're two...
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00:11:06,541 --> 00:11:08,543
two separate... islands.
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00:11:09,794 --> 00:11:12,314
Fred's theory
that somebody sailed a boat
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00:11:12,338 --> 00:11:14,984
into the waters, you know,
214
00:11:15,008 --> 00:11:17,319
between these two
very close islands and sunk it
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00:11:17,343 --> 00:11:20,656
with a treasure on it was, like,
it was one more outlandish idea,
216
00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:22,324
until people started pulling
217
00:11:22,348 --> 00:11:26,328
pieces of an old Spanish ship
out of the swamp.
218
00:11:26,352 --> 00:11:29,498
So... it looks
like a ship was sunk there.
219
00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:33,210
Fred Nolan's discovery
220
00:11:33,234 --> 00:11:35,212
also seemed
to validate the theory,
221
00:11:35,236 --> 00:11:38,507
held by Daniel McGinnis
back in 1795,
222
00:11:38,531 --> 00:11:41,177
that not only was
an incredible treasure buried
223
00:11:41,201 --> 00:11:43,262
somewhere on Oak Island
224
00:11:43,286 --> 00:11:45,556
but that it was put there
225
00:11:45,580 --> 00:11:48,225
sometime
before the 18th century...
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00:11:48,249 --> 00:11:50,186
by pirates.
227
00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:52,730
It was a time
when pirate treasures
228
00:11:52,754 --> 00:11:55,524
or caches of gold coins
229
00:11:55,548 --> 00:11:57,634
were being discovered
all over Nova Scotia.
230
00:11:59,510 --> 00:12:01,614
A lot of them buried by pirates.
231
00:12:01,638 --> 00:12:03,490
And so people
232
00:12:03,514 --> 00:12:06,452
were actually digging up
treasures occasionally.
233
00:12:06,476 --> 00:12:08,704
Naturally, that's what people
would imagine first
234
00:12:08,728 --> 00:12:13,083
about Oak Island, because
it was the only known theory
235
00:12:13,107 --> 00:12:16,462
of people laying in treasure,
uh, and it persisted
236
00:12:16,486 --> 00:12:19,465
because nobody came up
with any alternatives.
237
00:12:19,489 --> 00:12:22,384
I think one
of the reasons it's so easy
238
00:12:22,408 --> 00:12:25,221
to associate pirate lore
with Oak Island
239
00:12:25,245 --> 00:12:28,265
is that Mahone Bay
was unpopulated at that time.
240
00:12:28,289 --> 00:12:31,477
So, I mean, this was
a very secluded bay,
241
00:12:31,501 --> 00:12:33,229
a perfect haven for pirates
242
00:12:33,253 --> 00:12:35,546
that wanted to be out of the way
of prying eyes.
243
00:12:36,798 --> 00:12:38,859
Several pirates
have been credited
244
00:12:38,883 --> 00:12:41,487
with possibly depositing
the treasure here on Oak Island,
245
00:12:41,511 --> 00:12:43,489
including Peter Easton...
246
00:12:43,513 --> 00:12:45,574
Blackbeard...
247
00:12:45,598 --> 00:12:47,451
and William Kidd.
248
00:12:47,475 --> 00:12:50,120
In the early accounts
of the Oak Island mystery,
249
00:12:50,144 --> 00:12:52,456
it was often told that...
250
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,709
a dying man
in the New England states
251
00:12:55,733 --> 00:12:58,254
said he was a member
of Captain Kidd's crew
252
00:12:58,278 --> 00:13:00,256
and that he had a treasure map
253
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,758
to where Kidd's treasure
was buried.
254
00:13:02,782 --> 00:13:05,386
Many historians will tell you
that Captain Kidd
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00:13:05,410 --> 00:13:07,096
never visited Nova Scotia,
256
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,765
that he never got further north
than Boston.
257
00:13:09,789 --> 00:13:12,601
There is a lot of local lore
here in Nova Scotia, though,
258
00:13:12,625 --> 00:13:14,377
that he did.
259
00:13:17,964 --> 00:13:19,900
My favorite pirate
of all time is, uh,
260
00:13:19,924 --> 00:13:21,318
is Peter Easton,
261
00:13:21,342 --> 00:13:23,904
who was based up here
in Newfoundland,
262
00:13:23,928 --> 00:13:28,158
and he had a fleet of something
like 14 or 17 ships.
263
00:13:28,182 --> 00:13:31,203
They called him
the Pirate Admiral.
264
00:13:31,227 --> 00:13:33,455
He often...
265
00:13:33,479 --> 00:13:35,624
stuck close to Newfoundland
266
00:13:35,648 --> 00:13:37,626
and preyed on the trade routes
from there.
267
00:13:37,650 --> 00:13:40,629
Once a year,
the Spanish galleons would come
268
00:13:40,653 --> 00:13:43,173
from South America
back to Spain.
269
00:13:43,197 --> 00:13:44,383
He would prey on them.
270
00:13:44,407 --> 00:13:46,301
He amassed quite a fortune.
271
00:13:46,325 --> 00:13:48,470
I've heard it said
that Peter Easton amassed
272
00:13:48,494 --> 00:13:50,597
two million pounds.
273
00:13:50,621 --> 00:13:52,641
That is really interesting
when you consider
274
00:13:52,665 --> 00:13:55,269
what the solution to the cipher
275
00:13:55,293 --> 00:13:57,396
that was
on the 90 Foot Stone said,
276
00:13:57,420 --> 00:14:01,215
which was: "Forty feet below
two million pounds are buried."
277
00:14:02,175 --> 00:14:04,486
Edward Teach,
known as Blackbeard,
278
00:14:04,510 --> 00:14:07,322
had said, before he was hung,
279
00:14:07,346 --> 00:14:10,325
that he had buried
his treasure somewhere
280
00:14:10,349 --> 00:14:14,163
where "none but myself
and the devil can find it."
281
00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:16,790
He claimed to have hidden
the treasure somewhere
282
00:14:16,814 --> 00:14:18,751
in the New World,
283
00:14:18,775 --> 00:14:22,987
so people made the connection
between Teach and Oak Island.
284
00:14:24,572 --> 00:14:26,717
The Pirate Admiral,
285
00:14:26,741 --> 00:14:29,261
Captain Kidd
286
00:14:29,285 --> 00:14:31,722
and Blackbeard.
287
00:14:31,746 --> 00:14:33,515
Did these infamous buccaneers
288
00:14:33,539 --> 00:14:37,603
really bury their stolen
treasures on Oak Island?
289
00:14:37,627 --> 00:14:39,563
And even if they did,
where did they get
290
00:14:39,587 --> 00:14:42,524
the incredible
engineering skills
291
00:14:42,548 --> 00:14:45,819
that would have enabled them to
bury a treasure so ingeniously,
292
00:14:45,843 --> 00:14:49,448
complete with booby traps?
293
00:14:49,472 --> 00:14:52,326
You know, when I was first asked
whether it was possible
294
00:14:52,350 --> 00:14:54,870
pirates could've constructed
the Money Pit, I scoffed.
295
00:14:54,894 --> 00:14:56,872
You know, I mean,
because pirates would,
296
00:14:56,896 --> 00:14:58,332
what would they do
with their booty?
297
00:14:58,356 --> 00:15:00,417
They'd dig a hole ten feet deep,
298
00:15:00,441 --> 00:15:03,712
bury it and come back
for it when they were ready.
299
00:15:03,736 --> 00:15:06,590
But I didn't know then about the
works that pirates had created
300
00:15:06,614 --> 00:15:10,469
at, uh, Port Royal in Jamaica
and on Tortuga,
301
00:15:10,493 --> 00:15:15,015
which are incredibly elaborate
systems of tunnels and vaults
302
00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:18,435
that more than match in scope
what's been done on Oak Island.
303
00:15:18,459 --> 00:15:20,687
So there clearly were
pirate engineers,
304
00:15:20,711 --> 00:15:25,383
and I couldn't be as dismissive
of the pirate theory after that.
305
00:15:26,843 --> 00:15:28,946
But even if pirates did hide
306
00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:32,366
an incredible treasure
on Oak Island,
307
00:15:32,390 --> 00:15:35,369
is it really possible that
it would bear a deadly curse?
308
00:15:35,393 --> 00:15:39,248
There are some Oak Island
historians who are convinced
309
00:15:39,272 --> 00:15:43,317
that the answer
is a disturbing yes.
310
00:15:45,528 --> 00:15:47,381
In pirate folklore,
it's a common thing
311
00:15:47,405 --> 00:15:49,925
that they would bury somebody
that was alive
312
00:15:49,949 --> 00:15:51,927
to guard the treasure
as a spirit
313
00:15:51,951 --> 00:15:53,679
so it would be cursed
and haunted,
314
00:15:53,703 --> 00:15:56,431
so nobody would be able
to get access to the treasure.
315
00:15:56,455 --> 00:15:58,600
That seems to play
into a lot of the myths
316
00:15:58,624 --> 00:16:01,979
regarding the‐the curse
on the island.
317
00:16:02,003 --> 00:16:04,815
One of the stories
is that pirates may have buried
318
00:16:04,839 --> 00:16:07,901
their treasure on the island
in treasure tunnels.
319
00:16:07,925 --> 00:16:10,445
And they had slaves
digging for them.
320
00:16:10,469 --> 00:16:14,515
And in the process,
they left them there to die.
321
00:16:17,894 --> 00:16:20,414
And as they knew
they were dying,
322
00:16:20,438 --> 00:16:22,416
those slaves cursed
those pirates
323
00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,920
and cursed that treasure, and
by extension, the whole island.
324
00:16:28,988 --> 00:16:31,466
Sometimes those near the tunnels
late at night
325
00:16:31,490 --> 00:16:33,743
could hear the rattling
of chains.
326
00:16:36,037 --> 00:16:39,433
Perhaps that's the energy
we're dealing with today.
327
00:16:39,457 --> 00:16:42,978
It is like a time bomb,
328
00:16:43,002 --> 00:16:46,839
something that goes down
through the ages.
329
00:16:49,091 --> 00:16:52,446
The idea that Oak Island
might be haunted by the souls
330
00:16:52,470 --> 00:16:55,824
of those who dug the treasure
tunnels had a chilling effect
331
00:16:55,848 --> 00:16:57,993
on pretty much
everyone who came there.
332
00:16:58,017 --> 00:17:00,621
So far, two men
had died horribly.
333
00:17:00,645 --> 00:17:04,791
But Oak Island's reputation as
cursed didn't really take hold
334
00:17:04,815 --> 00:17:09,671
until a man came to the island
claiming that he and he alone
335
00:17:09,695 --> 00:17:11,173
could solve the mystery.
336
00:17:11,197 --> 00:17:14,134
It was a notion that would
ultimately cost him
337
00:17:14,158 --> 00:17:18,704
and three other men,
including his son, their lives.
338
00:17:26,045 --> 00:17:28,941
An article appears
in Coronet magazine
339
00:17:28,965 --> 00:17:31,443
called "The Buried Treasure
of Oak Island."
340
00:17:31,467 --> 00:17:34,738
It attracts the attention
of a former motorcycle daredevil
341
00:17:34,762 --> 00:17:36,865
named Robert Restall.
342
00:17:36,889 --> 00:17:40,035
Having professionally toured
Europe and North America
343
00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:42,955
with his wife Mildred
throughout the 1930s and '40s,
344
00:17:42,979 --> 00:17:46,375
Robert was now a man
who struggled to find work
345
00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:48,961
that earned him enough
to provide for his family.
346
00:17:48,985 --> 00:17:53,840
But now, after reading about the
possibility of a vast treasure
347
00:17:53,864 --> 00:17:57,386
buried deep beneath the surface
of a small Canadian island,
348
00:17:57,410 --> 00:18:01,723
Robert became convinced that he
had both the engineering skills
349
00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:07,563
and the determination
to solve the Oak Island mystery.
350
00:18:07,587 --> 00:18:10,732
Robert Restall
got involved in Oak Island
351
00:18:10,756 --> 00:18:13,527
like so many others have,
by reading a magazine article.
352
00:18:13,551 --> 00:18:15,862
So when he read
about Oak Island,
353
00:18:15,886 --> 00:18:20,367
he got every single available
document, book, you name it,
354
00:18:20,391 --> 00:18:23,328
maps, charts,
and studied Oak Island.
355
00:18:23,352 --> 00:18:25,622
It was his passion.
He would stay up at night
356
00:18:25,646 --> 00:18:28,625
reading, like,
the survey maps of Oak Island
357
00:18:28,649 --> 00:18:30,961
and looking for clues
and codes and things.
358
00:18:30,985 --> 00:18:34,631
After making a deal with
the owner of the island Mel Chappell
359
00:18:34,655 --> 00:18:37,676
on October 15, 1959,
360
00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,596
Robert Restall moves
his family onto the island
361
00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:42,681
and takes up the search.
362
00:18:42,705 --> 00:18:44,391
I was just a nine year old boy.
363
00:18:44,415 --> 00:18:47,019
It was, uh, it was like
leaving the city
364
00:18:47,043 --> 00:18:49,563
and arriving in some paradise.
365
00:18:49,587 --> 00:18:54,067
It was just full
of life, color, nature,
366
00:18:54,091 --> 00:18:56,069
and, uh, I couldn't
have been happier.
367
00:18:56,093 --> 00:19:00,032
For almost two or three years,
I think,
368
00:19:00,056 --> 00:19:02,767
I was the luckiest kid
in the world.
369
00:19:06,479 --> 00:19:09,791
Many people talk about
the treasure of Oak Island,
370
00:19:09,815 --> 00:19:15,839
but the treasure to my dad
was not so much the money,
371
00:19:15,863 --> 00:19:20,844
but it was being the one
who was able to unravel
372
00:19:20,868 --> 00:19:24,497
the mystery of the island.
373
00:19:26,165 --> 00:19:29,168
The men were
always busy digging...
374
00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:35,025
or writing letters
to investors
375
00:19:35,049 --> 00:19:36,693
or working
on a piece of machinery
376
00:19:36,717 --> 00:19:40,179
that was becoming problematic.
377
00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:43,867
Or as Bobby did, uh,
378
00:19:43,891 --> 00:19:48,813
making maps and drawings
of the work that was ongoing.
379
00:19:50,940 --> 00:19:53,502
My dad was totally innovative.
380
00:19:53,526 --> 00:19:55,629
And he knew what
the others had done
381
00:19:55,653 --> 00:19:57,714
and where they had fallen short.
382
00:19:57,738 --> 00:20:00,592
Up to that point,
people didn't really trust
383
00:20:00,616 --> 00:20:03,011
the work of the person
ahead of them.
384
00:20:03,035 --> 00:20:05,555
But Dad wasn't gonna
make that mistake.
385
00:20:05,579 --> 00:20:09,226
He was going to take everything
just the one step further.
386
00:20:09,250 --> 00:20:11,228
That's all he had to do.
387
00:20:11,252 --> 00:20:13,480
It wasn't a big deal.
388
00:20:13,504 --> 00:20:16,215
And he really believed he could
do it in about three months.
389
00:20:18,259 --> 00:20:20,696
Unfortunately
for Robert Restall,
390
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,783
three months eventually became
five long years,
391
00:20:24,807 --> 00:20:29,037
during which his family endured
the harshest of conditions.
392
00:20:29,061 --> 00:20:31,748
Bitter cold in the winter,
393
00:20:31,772 --> 00:20:34,084
sweltering heat
during the summer.
394
00:20:34,108 --> 00:20:35,752
For Robert Restall,
395
00:20:35,776 --> 00:20:39,840
determination eventually
turned into desperation.
396
00:20:39,864 --> 00:20:44,511
And desperation into obsession.
397
00:20:44,535 --> 00:20:45,971
If you're trying
to understand the mindset
398
00:20:45,995 --> 00:20:48,223
of a treasure hunter,
it's actually very useful
399
00:20:48,247 --> 00:20:50,750
to try to understand
the psychology behind gambling.
400
00:20:51,917 --> 00:20:55,480
Sometimes gamblers will spend
many, many hours
401
00:20:55,504 --> 00:20:58,567
at the same slot machine,
and in a sense, you could say
402
00:20:58,591 --> 00:21:01,111
that's like a microcosm
of what's happening
403
00:21:01,135 --> 00:21:03,530
with very obsessed
treasure hunters.
404
00:21:03,554 --> 00:21:07,701
In the case of either
treasure hunting or gambling,
405
00:21:07,725 --> 00:21:10,620
if the person is failing
after many repeated attempts
406
00:21:10,644 --> 00:21:12,622
and not getting any reward,
407
00:21:12,646 --> 00:21:16,609
most often, people will
eventually give out.
408
00:21:18,277 --> 00:21:22,132
But that's what separates
these obsessive personalities
409
00:21:22,156 --> 00:21:24,551
from the ones
that will just quit.
410
00:21:24,575 --> 00:21:28,221
And they will keep
on chasing that rush
411
00:21:28,245 --> 00:21:30,265
and building up
that anticipation
412
00:21:30,289 --> 00:21:32,792
until they get rewards.
413
00:21:34,251 --> 00:21:37,647
I think obsession
is the salient characteristic
414
00:21:37,671 --> 00:21:38,982
of what happens on this island.
415
00:21:39,006 --> 00:21:40,108
I really, really do.
416
00:21:40,132 --> 00:21:43,153
And knowing
that that condition exists here,
417
00:21:43,177 --> 00:21:45,530
I think
it's something to be wary of.
418
00:21:45,554 --> 00:21:48,867
I think it's easy
to become obsessed with this.
419
00:21:48,891 --> 00:21:52,788
I feel that the treasure is here
and that we can get it,
420
00:21:52,812 --> 00:21:56,625
and we're going to stay here
until we do.
421
00:21:56,649 --> 00:21:59,795
By 1965,
Robert Restall had poured everything he had
422
00:21:59,819 --> 00:22:01,296
into Oak Island.
423
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,216
He couldn't leave empty‐handed.
424
00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,928
And then, on August 17, 1965,
425
00:22:07,952 --> 00:22:09,179
Robert Restall,
426
00:22:09,203 --> 00:22:12,057
his eldest son Bobby,
427
00:22:12,081 --> 00:22:13,850
and two of his coworkers
428
00:22:13,874 --> 00:22:17,187
would become part
of Oak Island history.
429
00:22:17,211 --> 00:22:20,899
But not in the way
they had hoped.
430
00:22:20,923 --> 00:22:23,652
That afternoon,
Robert had intended to travel
431
00:22:23,676 --> 00:22:25,862
to the mainland
to visit the bank.
432
00:22:25,886 --> 00:22:28,031
But he took one last walk
to take another look
433
00:22:28,055 --> 00:22:29,908
at their current work.
434
00:22:29,932 --> 00:22:32,994
And while he was looking
in the shaft,
435
00:22:33,018 --> 00:22:34,996
he tumbled in.
436
00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:38,750
His son Bobby saw his father
437
00:22:38,774 --> 00:22:40,210
tumble into the shaft,
438
00:22:40,234 --> 00:22:43,046
and quickly went to his aid.
439
00:22:43,070 --> 00:22:45,799
Carl Graeser
was very close behind,
440
00:22:45,823 --> 00:22:48,051
Cyril Hiltz, Andrew DeMont
441
00:22:48,075 --> 00:22:50,095
and Leonard Kaizer
442
00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,664
also followed them down
into the shaft.
443
00:22:59,753 --> 00:23:04,109
Of all the individuals
that entered the shaft,
444
00:23:04,133 --> 00:23:06,278
only two were saved.
445
00:23:06,302 --> 00:23:09,155
They all seemed
to have been overcome
446
00:23:09,179 --> 00:23:12,284
by some gas in the shaft.
447
00:23:12,308 --> 00:23:14,786
By the end of that tragic day,
448
00:23:14,810 --> 00:23:18,707
Oak Island's deadly curse
had added the names of four men
449
00:23:18,731 --> 00:23:20,876
to its list of victims:
450
00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:22,878
Robert Restall,
451
00:23:22,902 --> 00:23:24,296
his son Bobby,
452
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:25,839
Cyril Hiltz
453
00:23:25,863 --> 00:23:27,757
and Carl Graeser.
454
00:23:27,781 --> 00:23:33,013
And in a morbid twist
on an already sad tale,
455
00:23:33,037 --> 00:23:36,182
a rumor was being spread
456
00:23:36,206 --> 00:23:39,352
that not only was
the Oak Island curse real
457
00:23:39,376 --> 00:23:41,897
but that one more
would have to die
458
00:23:41,921 --> 00:23:44,399
in pursuit of the treasure
459
00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:48,194
before the Oak Island mystery
could be solved.
460
00:23:48,218 --> 00:23:52,073
The idea of seven people dying
seems to have come
461
00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:55,827
from a 1967 article
in True magazine.
462
00:23:55,851 --> 00:23:58,705
It was attributing this
to a local legend
463
00:23:58,729 --> 00:24:00,999
that said seven men have to die
464
00:24:01,023 --> 00:24:03,919
before the treasure
will be found.
465
00:24:03,943 --> 00:24:08,048
But is the notion of an
Oak Island curse simply made‐up,
466
00:24:08,072 --> 00:24:11,384
the product
of a pulp writer's fantasy?
467
00:24:11,408 --> 00:24:14,012
Or is it real?
468
00:24:14,036 --> 00:24:16,890
There are many who insist
that not only is it real
469
00:24:16,914 --> 00:24:18,892
but that its origins
470
00:24:18,916 --> 00:24:22,103
stretch back
long before the days of pirates,
471
00:24:22,127 --> 00:24:23,939
all the way back
472
00:24:23,963 --> 00:24:27,341
to the days
of the Knights Templar.
473
00:24:38,018 --> 00:24:40,246
I mean, this is
an ideal situation, Rick,
474
00:24:40,270 --> 00:24:41,790
because, obviously,
it's low tide.
475
00:24:41,814 --> 00:24:44,626
Mm‐hmm.
‐We got these rock pools.
476
00:24:44,650 --> 00:24:45,794
So, you're thinking between
477
00:24:45,818 --> 00:24:47,128
the beach
and the old cofferdams.
478
00:24:47,152 --> 00:24:49,255
‐This is a perfect spot?
‐Yeah.
479
00:24:49,279 --> 00:24:50,757
So, let's see
if we can find something.
480
00:24:50,781 --> 00:24:51,967
While searching
481
00:24:51,991 --> 00:24:53,885
along a stretch
of Oak Island's shoreline,
482
00:24:53,909 --> 00:24:57,681
Rick Lagina and metal detection
expert Gary Drayton
483
00:24:57,705 --> 00:24:59,307
make a shocking discovery...
484
00:25:02,751 --> 00:25:04,378
That's worth digging, Rick.
485
00:25:06,338 --> 00:25:09,150
One that would
ultimately shed light
486
00:25:09,174 --> 00:25:11,820
on the Oak Island curse.
487
00:25:11,844 --> 00:25:13,905
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
488
00:25:13,929 --> 00:25:15,323
What?
489
00:25:15,347 --> 00:25:17,117
‐I don't see anything.
‐I see something.
490
00:25:23,772 --> 00:25:25,041
Holy...
491
00:25:25,065 --> 00:25:27,919
Holy schmoly, all right.
492
00:25:27,943 --> 00:25:30,404
It's a cross.
‐That's a cross.
493
00:25:31,864 --> 00:25:33,466
There's a square hole.
494
00:25:33,490 --> 00:25:35,427
Yeah, right there.
495
00:25:35,451 --> 00:25:36,970
It's heavy, too.
496
00:25:36,994 --> 00:25:38,430
Oh, my gosh. I mean,
497
00:25:38,454 --> 00:25:41,206
that is an old, old cross.
498
00:25:42,207 --> 00:25:43,476
I didn't really know
499
00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,229
what it was until I pick it up
500
00:25:46,253 --> 00:25:47,814
and I can see
501
00:25:47,838 --> 00:25:50,775
this is a religious artifact.
502
00:25:50,799 --> 00:25:53,445
I could tell straightaway
503
00:25:53,469 --> 00:25:57,991
that this cross is
probably hundreds of years old.
504
00:25:58,015 --> 00:26:00,702
This isn't a modern design.
505
00:26:00,726 --> 00:26:02,328
I got to be honest,
when I first saw it,
506
00:26:02,352 --> 00:26:04,164
I'm thinking medieval.
507
00:26:04,188 --> 00:26:06,833
Sweet!
508
00:26:06,857 --> 00:26:08,460
Gary was extremely excited.
509
00:26:08,484 --> 00:26:11,254
More excited than anything
he's ever found on the island.
510
00:26:11,278 --> 00:26:14,799
This is the type of
thing I'd expect to find in Europe.
511
00:26:14,823 --> 00:26:20,120
I would say that is somewhere
between 1200 and 1600.
512
00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:23,183
It's really that old?
513
00:26:23,207 --> 00:26:24,392
Yeah, that is old.
514
00:26:24,416 --> 00:26:26,478
That is really old.
515
00:26:26,502 --> 00:26:28,354
I've seen that shape before.
516
00:26:28,378 --> 00:26:30,231
I swear, that'll tell the tale
how old it is.
517
00:26:30,255 --> 00:26:31,733
‐That shape.
‐Yeah.
518
00:26:31,757 --> 00:26:34,110
Where do you think
you've seen it before?
519
00:26:34,134 --> 00:26:36,321
You know,
when I was in France,
520
00:26:36,345 --> 00:26:38,948
I swear
I saw a carving like that
521
00:26:38,972 --> 00:26:42,118
in the Templar prison in Domme.
522
00:26:45,104 --> 00:26:47,415
Incredibly,
it was while on a research trip to France
523
00:26:47,439 --> 00:26:49,250
one month earlier
524
00:26:49,274 --> 00:26:52,545
that Rick Lagina was shown
a virtually identical carving
525
00:26:52,569 --> 00:26:56,758
etched into the wall
of Domme Prison,
526
00:26:56,782 --> 00:26:59,260
a 13th‐century fortress
527
00:26:59,284 --> 00:27:02,097
where 70 members of the Knights
Templar were imprisoned
528
00:27:02,121 --> 00:27:03,515
and tortured
529
00:27:03,539 --> 00:27:07,268
‐prior to execution.
‐.
530
00:27:07,292 --> 00:27:10,271
But could the striking
similarity between the cross
531
00:27:10,295 --> 00:27:12,774
found by Rick Lagina
at Smith's Cove
532
00:27:12,798 --> 00:27:15,985
and the carving on the wall
at Domme Prison suggest
533
00:27:16,009 --> 00:27:18,488
that some members of the Knights
Templar actually made
534
00:27:18,512 --> 00:27:21,032
their way across the Atlantic
to North America
535
00:27:21,056 --> 00:27:24,911
centuries before Christopher
Columbus' historic voyage
536
00:27:24,935 --> 00:27:28,331
in 1492?
537
00:27:28,355 --> 00:27:31,543
The Knights Templar were founded
in the 12th century,
538
00:27:31,567 --> 00:27:34,546
and they were
the world's first combination
539
00:27:34,570 --> 00:27:37,423
of warrior and monk,
a security force
540
00:27:37,447 --> 00:27:39,384
of a sort
that would assist pilgrims
541
00:27:39,408 --> 00:27:42,303
on their journey
to the Holy Land.
542
00:27:42,327 --> 00:27:44,138
And one of the services
they provided
543
00:27:44,162 --> 00:27:47,141
was they would hold on to
and‐and give safekeeping to any
544
00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:49,310
of the relics that pilgrims
would have gathered
545
00:27:49,334 --> 00:27:51,145
on their journey.
546
00:27:51,169 --> 00:27:53,982
They were the guardians
of a lot of the treasures
547
00:27:54,006 --> 00:27:56,818
of various kings
and popes and monarchs.
548
00:27:56,842 --> 00:27:59,362
And because
of their amazing reputation,
549
00:27:59,386 --> 00:28:03,265
they became known as the world's
first international bankers.
550
00:28:04,516 --> 00:28:06,828
The French crown
551
00:28:06,852 --> 00:28:09,581
had borrowed a great deal
of money from the organization,
552
00:28:09,605 --> 00:28:14,627
and so to get out
of paying back the order,
553
00:28:14,651 --> 00:28:17,255
the king of France decides
they are Satanists,
554
00:28:17,279 --> 00:28:21,175
and they're defiling the church.
555
00:28:21,199 --> 00:28:24,304
The king of France
then leaned on the pope to back him up
556
00:28:24,328 --> 00:28:27,098
and press charges
against the Knights Templar.
557
00:28:27,122 --> 00:28:30,101
And here, the pope was siding
with the king of France,
558
00:28:30,125 --> 00:28:32,270
turning all of his people over
to be imprisoned
559
00:28:32,294 --> 00:28:35,464
and burned at the stake,
and they felt horribly betrayed.
560
00:28:37,883 --> 00:28:42,655
On Friday 13, 1307,
561
00:28:42,679 --> 00:28:45,199
Pope Clement V
ordered the imprisonment
562
00:28:45,223 --> 00:28:46,910
of the Knights Templar,
563
00:28:46,934 --> 00:28:51,539
including their grandmaster
Jacques de Molay.
564
00:28:51,563 --> 00:28:53,875
Of the Templars
who were able to evade capture,
565
00:28:53,899 --> 00:28:55,919
many fled to Scotland,
566
00:28:55,943 --> 00:28:59,547
and as far as some
Templar scholars are concerned,
567
00:28:59,571 --> 00:29:01,424
successfully made their way
across the Atlantic
568
00:29:01,448 --> 00:29:02,967
to North America.
569
00:29:02,991 --> 00:29:07,138
But if such an audacious theory
is correct,
570
00:29:07,162 --> 00:29:09,182
is it also possible that
the Templars brought with them
571
00:29:09,206 --> 00:29:11,893
many of their riches
and religious artifacts
572
00:29:11,917 --> 00:29:14,938
that they rescued
from the Holy Land?
573
00:29:14,962 --> 00:29:19,359
The Knights Templar were formed
during the first Crusades,
574
00:29:19,383 --> 00:29:23,071
after the Christian knights
had come to the Holy Land
575
00:29:23,095 --> 00:29:24,221
and captured Jerusalem.
576
00:29:25,973 --> 00:29:29,160
And it's believed that possibly
they found the Holy Grail.
577
00:29:29,184 --> 00:29:31,436
They may have found
the Ark of the Covenant.
578
00:29:33,271 --> 00:29:36,209
The Ark of the Covenant holds
579
00:29:36,233 --> 00:29:40,088
the covenant from God to man‐‐
and that is, physically,
580
00:29:40,112 --> 00:29:43,699
the two tablets representing
the Ten Commandments.
581
00:29:45,283 --> 00:29:49,097
If the Templars were carrying
this extraordinary treasure
582
00:29:49,121 --> 00:29:51,140
to a place where
they wanted to be safe
583
00:29:51,164 --> 00:29:55,085
and create a New Jerusalem,
Oak Island makes sense.
584
00:29:56,253 --> 00:29:58,690
The Ark of the Covenant.
585
00:29:58,714 --> 00:30:02,276
Is it possible that this most
sacred of all religious objects
586
00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:04,529
was brought to Oak Island
and buried,
587
00:30:04,553 --> 00:30:07,198
along with other
Templar treasures,
588
00:30:07,222 --> 00:30:10,451
in a booby‐trapped vault
deep beneath the ground?
589
00:30:10,475 --> 00:30:14,288
It may sound
like a far‐fetched notion,
590
00:30:14,312 --> 00:30:18,543
but according to both Oak Island
and Knights Templar researchers,
591
00:30:18,567 --> 00:30:21,671
the best proof of this theory
may be something
592
00:30:21,695 --> 00:30:25,508
that both the island
and the Templars have in common:
593
00:30:25,532 --> 00:30:29,637
A deadly curse.
594
00:30:29,661 --> 00:30:33,474
When Jacques de Molay,
was brought to the stake,
595
00:30:33,498 --> 00:30:36,644
he gave a very powerful
and impassioned speech
596
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:40,189
about his innocence and the
innocence of his entire order.
597
00:30:40,213 --> 00:30:42,650
It was a very dramatic speech
that to this day
598
00:30:42,674 --> 00:30:46,654
is talked about in France
and elsewhere.
599
00:30:46,678 --> 00:30:50,366
As Jacques de Molay stood
at the funeral pyre
600
00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:52,452
waiting for the flames
to consume him,
601
00:30:52,476 --> 00:30:56,497
he cursed the king
and he cursed the pope.
602
00:30:56,521 --> 00:30:59,542
And he said that both of them
would be called before God
603
00:30:59,566 --> 00:31:02,086
before the end of a year
and a day.
604
00:31:02,110 --> 00:31:08,176
Within a year, the pope dies
of a prolonged illness.
605
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,596
Within a year,
the king dies of a stroke
606
00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:13,598
on his way to go hunting.
607
00:31:13,622 --> 00:31:15,725
But it doesn't end there.
608
00:31:15,749 --> 00:31:19,312
Over the course
of the next 14 years,
609
00:31:19,336 --> 00:31:23,608
the king of France's line,
his three sons and his grandson,
610
00:31:23,632 --> 00:31:27,320
all die in somewhat
mysterious circumstances.
611
00:31:27,344 --> 00:31:30,698
There is the kind
of curse that carries over,
612
00:31:30,722 --> 00:31:33,534
that has long‐lasting
implications.
613
00:31:33,558 --> 00:31:37,038
When de Molay was killed
by the French crown,
614
00:31:37,062 --> 00:31:40,041
there was a curse‐‐ perhaps on
France, perhaps on the materials
615
00:31:40,065 --> 00:31:43,544
or the wealth of the Templars‐‐
that goes down through time.
616
00:31:43,568 --> 00:31:47,715
And anybody who recovers this
or has some interest
617
00:31:47,739 --> 00:31:50,760
might be hurt by them.
618
00:31:50,784 --> 00:31:54,180
Is it possible that the curse
somehow carried over
619
00:31:54,204 --> 00:31:56,349
and is protecting
whatever is buried
620
00:31:56,373 --> 00:31:59,143
in the Money Pit on Oak Island,
which some researchers
621
00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:01,354
have speculated is actually
the resting place
622
00:32:01,378 --> 00:32:03,213
of the Ark of the Covenant?
623
00:32:07,551 --> 00:32:10,571
Could the fabled riches
of the Knights Templar
624
00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:12,448
really lie buried
625
00:32:12,472 --> 00:32:16,494
in an elaborately constructed
treasure vault on Oak Island?
626
00:32:16,518 --> 00:32:18,621
There are many
who believe the answer
627
00:32:18,645 --> 00:32:20,706
is a profound yes
628
00:32:20,730 --> 00:32:23,376
and that these riches
are still being protected
629
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,130
by Jacques de Molay's
deadly curse,
630
00:32:27,154 --> 00:32:30,424
one that was designed
to keep the treasure hidden
631
00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:32,701
at all costs.
632
00:32:39,749 --> 00:32:42,603
Shortly after
performing the ancient practice
633
00:32:42,627 --> 00:32:45,565
known as dowsing,
which entails using metal rods
634
00:32:45,589 --> 00:32:48,442
to detect underground voids,
635
00:32:48,466 --> 00:32:51,028
treasure hunter Dan Henskee
636
00:32:51,052 --> 00:32:53,239
is suddenly overcome
with a strange
637
00:32:53,263 --> 00:32:55,682
and disturbing sensation.
638
00:32:57,309 --> 00:32:59,495
I don't actually know
if what's happened to me
639
00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:01,998
on Oak Island
was real or imaginary.
640
00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:04,691
It was quite strange.
641
00:33:07,444 --> 00:33:10,464
It involved
what appeared to be possession
642
00:33:10,488 --> 00:33:13,467
by a spirit
of someone long dead.
643
00:33:13,491 --> 00:33:17,138
I thought that the spirit
of a dead priest
644
00:33:17,162 --> 00:33:18,723
had entered my body
645
00:33:18,747 --> 00:33:20,683
and that the priest
had his throat cut.
646
00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:26,147
‐
‐I do remember falling down,
647
00:33:26,171 --> 00:33:29,108
feeling that I was
experiencing the death
648
00:33:29,132 --> 00:33:31,694
of this person.
649
00:33:31,718 --> 00:33:35,198
After Dan was
able to regain control of himself,
650
00:33:35,222 --> 00:33:38,034
he was left
with a daunting question:
651
00:33:38,058 --> 00:33:40,828
Was his experience
just a trick of his mind?
652
00:33:40,852 --> 00:33:44,332
Or could it
have really happened?
653
00:33:44,356 --> 00:33:46,500
Now, what makes this
really interesting
654
00:33:46,524 --> 00:33:48,836
is the fact
that he was able to determine
655
00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:50,546
that the entity possessing him
656
00:33:50,570 --> 00:33:53,424
was that
of an allegedly murdered priest.
657
00:33:55,367 --> 00:33:57,011
Now, you might be wondering,
658
00:33:57,035 --> 00:34:00,056
how did he come by
this information?
659
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:01,599
It's entirely possible
660
00:34:01,623 --> 00:34:04,352
that whatever
had been interacting with him
661
00:34:04,376 --> 00:34:07,521
literally just told him
that this is who I am
662
00:34:07,545 --> 00:34:09,464
and this is what happened to me.
663
00:34:10,465 --> 00:34:12,443
While many think
664
00:34:12,467 --> 00:34:14,528
that Dan's story
is too bizarre to believe,
665
00:34:14,552 --> 00:34:17,531
it's not an isolated event.
666
00:34:17,555 --> 00:34:19,742
Throughout Oak Island's history,
667
00:34:19,766 --> 00:34:23,287
tales of frightening,
mystical phenomena
668
00:34:23,311 --> 00:34:25,373
are as numerous as the theories
669
00:34:25,397 --> 00:34:27,691
concerning
the legendary treasure.
670
00:34:29,234 --> 00:34:31,587
One of the more interesting
extreme reports
671
00:34:31,611 --> 00:34:33,339
comes from a man
named Fred Nolan.
672
00:34:33,363 --> 00:34:36,217
He was convinced
673
00:34:36,241 --> 00:34:38,552
that the ravens on the island
were possessed
674
00:34:38,576 --> 00:34:40,721
by the souls of former slaves
675
00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:43,891
who had helped in digging
the pits and the flood tunnels.
676
00:34:47,085 --> 00:34:48,562
There have been
all kinds of stories
677
00:34:48,586 --> 00:34:52,275
about a dog with fiery eyes.
678
00:34:53,758 --> 00:34:56,696
People have told me
679
00:34:56,720 --> 00:35:00,324
stories of their father
or their grandfather
680
00:35:00,348 --> 00:35:03,560
wandering across the island
and seeing this dog.
681
00:35:04,603 --> 00:35:07,582
Red glowing eyes
have also been reported,
682
00:35:07,606 --> 00:35:10,167
uh, in another story.
683
00:35:10,191 --> 00:35:13,087
After the Restall Tragedy,
684
00:35:13,111 --> 00:35:15,590
one of the people that worked
for them, Jim Kaizer...
685
00:35:15,614 --> 00:35:18,134
He often worked
as a night watchman.
686
00:35:18,158 --> 00:35:21,387
One night, he was staying
in the Restalls' cabin,
687
00:35:21,411 --> 00:35:24,432
and he woke up to a feeling
688
00:35:24,456 --> 00:35:26,517
of a great weight on his chest.
689
00:35:26,541 --> 00:35:29,854
He had these two red eyes
staring at him in the dark,
690
00:35:29,878 --> 00:35:31,897
and he heard a voice tell him
to leave the island
691
00:35:31,921 --> 00:35:34,442
‐and never come back.
‐.
692
00:35:34,466 --> 00:35:36,902
And in the morning,
when he woke up,
693
00:35:36,926 --> 00:35:38,904
he had bruises all over him.
694
00:35:38,928 --> 00:35:41,616
Jimmy Kaizer
was a real stand‐up guy,
695
00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:43,576
an unshakeable sort,
696
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,828
and this particular event,
I think,
697
00:35:45,852 --> 00:35:48,873
from all accounts,
really affected him
698
00:35:48,897 --> 00:35:50,940
for the rest of his life.
699
00:35:52,901 --> 00:35:54,629
Although most would agree
700
00:35:54,653 --> 00:35:57,673
that Oak Island
is an unusual place,
701
00:35:57,697 --> 00:36:00,801
could any physical evidence
exist to support the notion
702
00:36:00,825 --> 00:36:03,804
that there really is
a supernatural presence
703
00:36:03,828 --> 00:36:05,306
on the island?
704
00:36:07,666 --> 00:36:09,560
For many, the evidence lies
705
00:36:09,584 --> 00:36:12,438
in the unusual
electrical activity
706
00:36:12,462 --> 00:36:14,649
that regularly happens there.
707
00:36:14,673 --> 00:36:16,233
One of the first things
708
00:36:16,257 --> 00:36:18,903
is people here will have
brand‐new cell phones,
709
00:36:18,927 --> 00:36:21,280
and the batteries
will constantly drain out.
710
00:36:21,304 --> 00:36:24,867
There is a Bermuda Triangle
for Oak Island
711
00:36:24,891 --> 00:36:27,662
that occurs between Apple Island
and Frog Island
712
00:36:27,686 --> 00:36:29,538
coming up to Oak Island.
713
00:36:31,731 --> 00:36:34,835
Everything will go dead, you
will lose power in your boat.
714
00:36:34,859 --> 00:36:38,589
It's happened to several people
in this particular spot.
715
00:36:38,613 --> 00:36:41,676
There's no explanation for it
or the reasons why.
716
00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:44,679
But are
strange electrical anomalies
717
00:36:44,703 --> 00:36:46,847
really evidence of a curse?
718
00:36:46,871 --> 00:36:49,433
Isn't it more likely
that the bizarre occurrences
719
00:36:49,457 --> 00:36:54,313
experienced on the island have a
perfectly rational explanation?
720
00:36:54,337 --> 00:36:56,982
Perhaps.
721
00:36:57,006 --> 00:36:59,694
But as far as two of the
islands' owners are concerned,
722
00:36:59,718 --> 00:37:03,280
the notion that dark forces
might be at work
723
00:37:03,304 --> 00:37:06,575
is not so easy to dismiss.
724
00:37:06,599 --> 00:37:10,037
You know, I'm a skeptic
about paranormal stuff,
725
00:37:10,061 --> 00:37:12,373
But I spent,
but I spent one night‐‐
726
00:37:12,397 --> 00:37:14,315
I said, "I'm gonna go
check this out myself."
727
00:37:16,651 --> 00:37:18,754
So we drive out,
it's dark as can be,
728
00:37:18,778 --> 00:37:21,698
and it gets, um,
sort of, like, misty.
729
00:37:23,366 --> 00:37:25,386
A lot of fog and stuff,
you know.
730
00:37:25,410 --> 00:37:28,723
It's a spooky‐‐
It is a spooky place at night.
731
00:37:28,747 --> 00:37:31,392
Rick walked off,
and I'm kind of sitting there
732
00:37:31,416 --> 00:37:32,810
thinking, "Well, this is silly."
733
00:37:32,834 --> 00:37:34,603
And I got out of the car,
and I'm kind of leaning
734
00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:36,897
against the car‐‐ it's pitch
black‐‐ and all of a sudden,
735
00:37:36,921 --> 00:37:40,276
I heard the nastiest scream
you've ever heard in your life.
736
00:37:40,300 --> 00:37:42,302
I mean, a bloodcurdling scream.
737
00:37:43,678 --> 00:37:46,615
Scared the bejibbers out of me.
738
00:37:46,639 --> 00:37:47,950
I jumped back in the car
and I took off.
739
00:37:47,974 --> 00:37:50,310
And‐and I almost ran him over.
740
00:37:52,604 --> 00:37:56,083
So, uh, intellectually, I don't
believe that sort of thing,
741
00:37:56,107 --> 00:37:59,962
but you know, emotionally,
it seems to happen.
742
00:37:59,986 --> 00:38:01,589
And there have been
plenty of instances
743
00:38:01,613 --> 00:38:04,550
where that exact thing
has done‐‐ has happened.
744
00:38:04,574 --> 00:38:07,303
And there's no logic
to why they happen.
745
00:38:07,327 --> 00:38:10,371
That's what's... strange.
746
00:38:21,299 --> 00:38:25,303
Is there really
an Oak Island curse?
747
00:38:26,846 --> 00:38:28,741
There are many who believe
the answer's yes,
748
00:38:28,765 --> 00:38:31,869
but they'll also tell you
that it isn't a curse
749
00:38:31,893 --> 00:38:36,314
that involves dark forces
or threats of death.
750
00:38:37,857 --> 00:38:42,296
They believe it's the one
that takes root in the mind
751
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,365
of every would‐be
treasure hunter.
752
00:38:51,830 --> 00:38:54,517
There are many psychological
processes that could explain
753
00:38:54,541 --> 00:38:58,521
why a person actually spends
years searching for something,
754
00:38:58,545 --> 00:39:01,649
doesn't find it and keeps
doing it for even more years.
755
00:39:01,673 --> 00:39:05,528
So, one explanation
is this sunken cost fallacy,
756
00:39:05,552 --> 00:39:07,988
and the idea there
is that if you think
757
00:39:08,012 --> 00:39:10,825
you've already invested
a lot in finding something
758
00:39:10,849 --> 00:39:12,952
or pursuing something,
759
00:39:12,976 --> 00:39:17,581
then you don't want that
investment to go to waste,
760
00:39:17,605 --> 00:39:19,792
so you're willing to put in
more investment
761
00:39:19,816 --> 00:39:22,503
into the pursuit of the thing
that you still didn't find.
762
00:39:22,527 --> 00:39:25,506
And additionally,
they're often very worried
763
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:27,508
that if they leave
this treasure hunt site,
764
00:39:27,532 --> 00:39:30,427
someone else might come
and swoop in right after them
765
00:39:30,451 --> 00:39:32,513
and benefit from all of the work
766
00:39:32,537 --> 00:39:35,498
they have been doing all this
time and get the big rewards.
767
00:39:36,958 --> 00:39:40,396
I don't know what it is
about the island
768
00:39:40,420 --> 00:39:42,857
that so captivates people.
769
00:39:42,881 --> 00:39:47,403
But I do know
that it really does.
770
00:39:47,427 --> 00:39:50,388
It really does,
and it goes beyond reason.
771
00:39:53,057 --> 00:39:55,035
I can see the fascination.
772
00:39:55,059 --> 00:39:57,997
If the accident
hadn't happened when it did,
773
00:39:58,021 --> 00:40:00,541
and I had come
to the age of 16 or so,
774
00:40:00,565 --> 00:40:04,044
I can see myself
taking shovel in hand
775
00:40:04,068 --> 00:40:08,924
and becoming so upset with
the cursedness of this mystery
776
00:40:08,948 --> 00:40:11,409
and going after
the answer myself.
777
00:40:12,952 --> 00:40:16,432
Perhaps the legend of a curse,
778
00:40:16,456 --> 00:40:20,352
the reason for it existing
is to hide something.
779
00:40:20,376 --> 00:40:22,980
And the fact that people
are searching,
780
00:40:23,004 --> 00:40:25,816
people are actively saying,
"I'm gonna go against this
781
00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,444
and I'm gonna
look for it anyway,"
782
00:40:28,468 --> 00:40:32,865
that inherently gives the curse
a reason for being.
783
00:40:32,889 --> 00:40:35,993
There is a definite presence
on Oak Island,
784
00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:39,496
and I don't know
if this feeds into the curse,
785
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,665
or if this is something
completely different.
786
00:40:41,689 --> 00:40:45,586
Or manifested because
of the general knowledge
787
00:40:45,610 --> 00:40:48,613
that there may be
a curse on the island.
788
00:40:51,032 --> 00:40:52,885
I think the island is cursed
or there at least
789
00:40:52,909 --> 00:40:55,930
is some negative energy around
the multiple layers of history.
790
00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:59,391
I think the curse
shows up in many forms,
791
00:40:59,415 --> 00:41:03,479
whether it's greed, obsession
or financial difficulty.
792
00:41:03,503 --> 00:41:08,442
And I think something is still
unresolved and unsettled.
793
00:41:08,466 --> 00:41:11,946
The curse is the way Oak Island
swallows people's lives.
794
00:41:11,970 --> 00:41:14,531
It consumes their fortunes,
795
00:41:14,555 --> 00:41:18,077
and in many cases,
destroys their sanity.
796
00:41:18,101 --> 00:41:20,788
The curse of Oak Island
is that once you get in,
797
00:41:20,812 --> 00:41:22,647
it's really hard to get out.
798
00:41:25,984 --> 00:41:29,129
Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina
and the other members
799
00:41:29,153 --> 00:41:31,590
of the Oak Island team
are risking
800
00:41:31,614 --> 00:41:34,009
an incredible amount
of time and money
801
00:41:34,033 --> 00:41:37,429
looking for a fabled treasure
on Oak Island.
802
00:41:37,453 --> 00:41:42,059
But are they also risking
their lives?
803
00:41:42,083 --> 00:41:45,813
See, one thing is certain:
So far, six men have died
804
00:41:45,837 --> 00:41:47,398
searching for the answer.
805
00:41:47,422 --> 00:41:51,986
And according to legend,
one more will have to die
806
00:41:52,010 --> 00:41:54,488
before what lies buried there
can be found
807
00:41:54,512 --> 00:41:59,159
and the Oak Island mystery
will no longer be among.
808
00:41:59,183 --> 00:42:02,413
The UnXplained.
809
00:42:02,437 --> 00:42:03,813
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