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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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SHATNER:
To date,
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six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
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-And according to legend...
-[explosion]
-Whoa!
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-SHATNER: ...one more
will have to die...
-[crow caws]
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...before the treasure
can be found.
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Treasure?
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Curses?
[chuckles]
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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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00:00:43,217 --> 00:00:46,220
when two brothers--
Rick and Marty Lagina--
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read an article
in Reader's Digestmagazine
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that changed their lives
forever.
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00:00:52,182 --> 00:00:55,272
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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♪
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SHATNER:
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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MARTY:
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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RICK:
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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SHATNER:
But believe it or not,
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even with all the heavy
equipment they've brought in,
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00:02:13,437 --> 00:02:16,092
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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that a treasure
was ever buried there.
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00:02:37,461 --> 00:02:41,465
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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PAUL TROUTMAN:
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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And they found putty
and charcoal,
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and figured that there was
something to this mystery.
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SHATNER:
Convinced that no one would go
to the trouble
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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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00:04:47,112 --> 00:04:49,680
almost like
Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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00:04:49,811 --> 00:04:52,204
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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00:05:02,563 --> 00:05:05,392
The event thwarted
all subsequent attempts
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to dig in the ar,
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which was now known
as "the Money Pit."
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DAVID WHITEHEAD:
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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SHATNER:
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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D'ARCY O'CONNOR:
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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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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through unconscious processes.
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00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,595
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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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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00:07:15,565 --> 00:07:19,177
or do people just feel
that their luck isn't there?
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00:07:19,308 --> 00:07:21,441
DOUG CROWELL:
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 awers.
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SHATNER:
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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TROUTMAN:
There was a man that was working
at the Money Pit
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with a steam boiler.
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00:07:45,334 --> 00:07:47,510
[steam hissing,
rhythmic whooshing]
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The boiler overpressurized
and exploded...
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[loud explosion]
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...and apparently,
scalded him to death and injured
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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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SHATNER:
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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while working for the island's
new owner, Frederick Blair,
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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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-[man screaming]
-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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00:09:09,505 --> 00:09:12,726
In fact, they quit their jobs,
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00:09:12,856 --> 00:09:15,337
and work came to a standstill
on the island.
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00:09:20,690 --> 00:09:22,692
SHATNER:
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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00:09:36,053 --> 00:09:39,666
And, if so, who buried it there?
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What group of people had
the kind of skills
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needed to booby-trap
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something buried at least
ten stories underground?
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00:09:47,630 --> 00:09:51,155
For many,
the answer was simple...
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pirates.
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00:09:58,510 --> 00:10:02,166
SHATNER:
On a humid summer day in 1969,
193
00:10:02,297 --> 00:10:04,647
Oak Island land owner and
treasure hunter, Fred Nolan,
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00:10:04,778 --> 00:10:07,389
makes a remarkable discovery.
195
00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:10,653
While investigating the island's
triangle-shaped swamp,
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00:10:10,784 --> 00:10:13,569
he unearths compelling evidence
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00:10:13,700 --> 00:10:17,355
that a large ship might have
been buried there.
198
00:10:17,486 --> 00:10:20,750
Fred actually retrieved
ship artifacts from the swamp.
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00:10:20,881 --> 00:10:24,145
There's was a ship's mast,
there was ship's scuppers.
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00:10:24,275 --> 00:10:26,538
Did he suspect there was a ship?
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00:10:26,669 --> 00:10:29,150
The answer would almost
certainly have to be "yes."
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00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,588
SHATNER:
The find serves to confirm
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00:10:32,719 --> 00:10:35,678
what Fred Nolan has believed
for some time:
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00:10:35,809 --> 00:10:39,116
that the Oak Island swamp
is man-made,
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00:10:39,247 --> 00:10:44,034
and that it was created
to hide a large sailing ship.
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00:10:44,165 --> 00:10:46,515
But why?
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00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:48,691
Well, the main thing
that supports the idea
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00:10:48,822 --> 00:10:51,868
that Oak Island was two islands
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is that one end of the island
is made of granite,
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00:10:55,306 --> 00:10:59,267
and the other is sandstone,
limestone, crumbly rocks.
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00:10:59,397 --> 00:11:02,270
They're two completely
different compositions
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00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,228
on one end of the island
and the other.
213
00:11:04,359 --> 00:11:06,491
So it-it almost seems
like they're two...
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00:11:06,622 --> 00:11:08,493
two separate... islands.
215
00:11:10,017 --> 00:11:12,367
Fred's theory
that somebody sailed a boat
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00:11:12,497 --> 00:11:15,109
into the waters, you know,
217
00:11:15,239 --> 00:11:17,546
between these two
very close islands and sunk it
218
00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:20,680
with a treasure on it was, like,
it was one more outlandish idea,
219
00:11:20,810 --> 00:11:22,464
until people started pulling
220
00:11:22,594 --> 00:11:26,511
pieces of an old Spanish ship
out of the swamp.
221
00:11:26,642 --> 00:11:29,471
[chuckles]: So... it looks
like a ship was sunk there.
222
00:11:29,601 --> 00:11:31,429
[crow cawing]
223
00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,301
SHATNER:
Fred Nolan's discovery
224
00:11:33,431 --> 00:11:35,303
also seemed
to validate the theory,
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00:11:35,433 --> 00:11:38,654
held by Daniel McGinnis
back in 1795,
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00:11:38,785 --> 00:11:41,222
that not only was
an incredible treasure buried
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00:11:41,352 --> 00:11:43,267
somewhere on Oak Island
228
00:11:43,398 --> 00:11:45,617
but that it was put there
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00:11:45,748 --> 00:11:48,142
sometime
before the 18th century...
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00:11:48,272 --> 00:11:50,318
by pirates.
231
00:11:50,448 --> 00:11:52,755
SULLIVAN: It was a time
when pirate treasures
232
00:11:52,886 --> 00:11:55,671
or caches of gold coins
233
00:11:55,802 --> 00:11:57,586
were being discovered
all over Nova Scotia.
234
00:11:59,675 --> 00:12:01,546
A lot of them buried by pirates.
235
00:12:01,677 --> 00:12:03,679
And so people
236
00:12:03,810 --> 00:12:06,595
were actually digging up
treasures occasionally.
237
00:12:06,726 --> 00:12:08,902
Naturally, that's what people
would imagine first
238
00:12:09,032 --> 00:12:13,254
about Oak Island, because
it was the only known theory
239
00:12:13,384 --> 00:12:16,605
of people laying in treasure,
uh, and it persisted
240
00:12:16,736 --> 00:12:19,608
because nobody came up
with any alternatives.
241
00:12:19,739 --> 00:12:22,524
CROWELL: I think one
of the reasons it's so easy
242
00:12:22,654 --> 00:12:25,396
to associate pirate lore
with Oak Island
243
00:12:25,527 --> 00:12:28,399
is that Mahone Bay
was unpopulated at that time.
244
00:12:28,530 --> 00:12:31,489
So, I mean, this was
a very secluded bay,
245
00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:33,361
a perfect haven for pirates
246
00:12:33,491 --> 00:12:35,493
that wanted to be out of the way
of prying eyes.
247
00:12:37,017 --> 00:12:39,062
TROUTMAN: Several pirates
have been credited
248
00:12:39,193 --> 00:12:41,456
with possibly depositing
the treasure here on Oak Island,
249
00:12:41,586 --> 00:12:43,414
including Peter Easton...
250
00:12:43,545 --> 00:12:45,547
Blackbeard...
251
00:12:45,677 --> 00:12:47,592
and William Kidd.
252
00:12:47,723 --> 00:12:50,160
In the early accounts
of the Oak Island mystery,
253
00:12:50,291 --> 00:12:52,554
it was often told that...
254
00:12:52,684 --> 00:12:55,862
a dying man
in the New England states
255
00:12:55,992 --> 00:12:58,299
said he was a member
of Captain Kidd's crew
256
00:12:58,429 --> 00:13:00,344
and that he had a treasure map
257
00:13:00,475 --> 00:13:02,912
to where Kidd's treasure
was buried.
258
00:13:03,043 --> 00:13:05,436
Many historians will tell you
that Captain Kidd
259
00:13:05,567 --> 00:13:07,221
never visited Nova Scotia,
260
00:13:07,351 --> 00:13:09,963
that he never got further north
than Boston.
261
00:13:10,093 --> 00:13:12,574
There is a lot of local lore
here in Nova Scotia, though,
262
00:13:12,704 --> 00:13:14,315
that he did.
263
00:13:18,188 --> 00:13:19,886
MARTY: My favorite pirate
of all time is, uh,
264
00:13:20,016 --> 00:13:21,409
is Peter Easton,
265
00:13:21,539 --> 00:13:24,107
who was based up here
in Newfoundland,
266
00:13:24,238 --> 00:13:28,242
and he had a fleet of something
like 14 or 17 ships.
267
00:13:28,372 --> 00:13:31,201
They called him
the Pirate Admiral.
268
00:13:31,332 --> 00:13:33,508
CROWELL:
He often...
269
00:13:33,638 --> 00:13:35,771
stuck close to Newfoundland
270
00:13:35,902 --> 00:13:37,773
and preyed on the trade routes
from there.
271
00:13:37,904 --> 00:13:40,732
Once a year,
the Spanish galleons would come
272
00:13:40,863 --> 00:13:43,170
from South America
back to Spain.
273
00:13:43,300 --> 00:13:44,432
He would prey on them.
274
00:13:44,562 --> 00:13:46,434
He amassed quite a fortune.
275
00:13:46,564 --> 00:13:48,436
I've heard it said
that Peter Easton amassed
276
00:13:48,566 --> 00:13:50,742
two million pounds.
277
00:13:50,873 --> 00:13:52,701
That is really interesting
when you consider
278
00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:55,356
what the solution to the cipher
279
00:13:55,486 --> 00:13:57,575
that was
on the 90 Foot Stone said,
280
00:13:57,706 --> 00:14:01,144
which was: "Forty feet below
two million pounds are buried."
281
00:14:02,363 --> 00:14:04,539
Edward Teach,
known as Blackbeard,
282
00:14:04,669 --> 00:14:07,455
had said, before he was hung,
283
00:14:07,585 --> 00:14:10,501
that he had buried
his treasure somewhere
284
00:14:10,632 --> 00:14:14,288
where "none but myself
and the devil can find it."
285
00:14:14,418 --> 00:14:16,768
He claimed to have hidden
the treasure somewhere
286
00:14:16,899 --> 00:14:18,945
in the New World,
287
00:14:19,075 --> 00:14:22,905
so people made the connection
between Teach and Oak Island.
288
00:14:24,733 --> 00:14:26,648
SHATNER:
The Pirate Admiral,
289
00:14:26,778 --> 00:14:29,259
Captain Kidd
290
00:14:29,390 --> 00:14:31,740
and Blackbeard.
291
00:14:31,871 --> 00:14:33,655
Did these infamous buccaneers
292
00:14:33,785 --> 00:14:37,702
really bury their stolen
treasures on Oak Island?
293
00:14:37,833 --> 00:14:39,661
And even if they did,
where did they get
294
00:14:39,791 --> 00:14:42,751
the incredible
engineering skills
295
00:14:42,882 --> 00:14:45,841
that would have enabled them to
bury a treasure so ingeniously,
296
00:14:45,972 --> 00:14:49,627
complete with booby traps?
297
00:14:49,758 --> 00:14:52,500
You know, when I was first asked
whether it was possible
298
00:14:52,630 --> 00:14:54,981
pirates could've constructed
the Money Pit, I scoffed.
299
00:14:55,111 --> 00:14:56,939
You know, I mean,
because pirates would,
300
00:14:57,070 --> 00:14:58,419
what would they do
with their booty?
301
00:14:58,549 --> 00:15:00,595
They'd dig a hole ten feet deep,
302
00:15:00,725 --> 00:15:03,946
bury it and come back
for it when they were ready.
303
00:15:04,077 --> 00:15:06,731
But I didn't know then about the
works that pirates had created
304
00:15:06,862 --> 00:15:10,648
at, uh, Port Royal in Jamaica
and on Tortuga,
305
00:15:10,779 --> 00:15:15,262
which are incredibly elaborate
systems of tunnels and vaults
306
00:15:15,392 --> 00:15:18,526
that more than match in scope
what's been done on Oak Island.
307
00:15:18,656 --> 00:15:20,920
So there clearly were
pirate engineers,
308
00:15:21,050 --> 00:15:25,315
and I couldn't be as dismissive
of the pirate theory after that.
309
00:15:27,013 --> 00:15:29,015
SHATNER:
But even if pirates did hide
310
00:15:29,145 --> 00:15:32,583
an incredible treasure
on Oak Island,
311
00:15:32,714 --> 00:15:35,543
is it really possible that
it would bear a deadly curse?
312
00:15:35,673 --> 00:15:39,329
There are some Oak Island
historians who are convinced
313
00:15:39,460 --> 00:15:43,246
that the answer
is a disturbing yes.
314
00:15:45,727 --> 00:15:47,511
In pirate folklore,
it's a common thing
315
00:15:47,642 --> 00:15:49,992
that they would bury somebody
that was alive
316
00:15:50,123 --> 00:15:51,994
to guard the treasure
as a spirit
317
00:15:52,125 --> 00:15:53,865
so it would be cursed
and haunted,
318
00:15:53,996 --> 00:15:56,564
so nobody would be able
to get access to the treasure.
319
00:15:56,694 --> 00:15:58,740
That seems to play
into a lot of the myths
320
00:15:58,870 --> 00:16:02,178
regarding the-the curse
on the island.
321
00:16:02,309 --> 00:16:04,964
One of the stories
is that pirates may have buried
322
00:16:05,094 --> 00:16:08,010
their treasure on the island
in treasure tunnels.
323
00:16:08,141 --> 00:16:10,621
And they had slaves
digging for them.
324
00:16:10,752 --> 00:16:14,451
And in the process,
they left them there to die.
325
00:16:16,149 --> 00:16:17,889
[screams]
326
00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:20,501
And as they knew
they were dying,
327
00:16:20,631 --> 00:16:22,633
those slaves cursed
those pirates
328
00:16:22,764 --> 00:16:26,942
and cursed that treasure, and
by extension, the whole island.
329
00:16:27,073 --> 00:16:29,118
[wailing, chains rattling]
330
00:16:29,249 --> 00:16:31,555
Sometimes those near the tunnels
late at night
331
00:16:31,686 --> 00:16:33,688
could hear the rattling
of chains.
332
00:16:36,299 --> 00:16:39,476
Perhaps that's the energy
we're dealing with today.
333
00:16:39,607 --> 00:16:43,089
It is like a time bomb,
334
00:16:43,219 --> 00:16:46,788
something that goes down
through the ages.
335
00:16:49,399 --> 00:16:52,663
The idea that Oak Island
might be haunted by the souls
336
00:16:52,794 --> 00:16:55,927
of those who dug the treasure
tunnels had a chilling effect
337
00:16:56,058 --> 00:16:58,060
on pretty much
everyone who came there.
338
00:16:58,191 --> 00:17:00,845
So far, two men
had died horribly.
339
00:17:00,976 --> 00:17:05,024
But Oak Island's reputation as
cursed didn't really take hold
340
00:17:05,154 --> 00:17:09,680
until a man came to the island
claiming that he and he alone
341
00:17:09,811 --> 00:17:11,291
could solve the mystery.
342
00:17:11,421 --> 00:17:14,337
It was a notion that would
ultimately cost him
343
00:17:14,468 --> 00:17:18,646
and three other men,
including his son, their lives.
344
00:17:26,349 --> 00:17:29,091
SHATNER: An article appears
in Coronetmagazine
345
00:17:29,222 --> 00:17:31,615
called "The Buried Treasure
of Oak Island."
346
00:17:31,746 --> 00:17:34,705
It attracts the attention
of a former motorcycle daredevil
347
00:17:34,836 --> 00:17:37,056
named Robert Restall.
348
00:17:37,186 --> 00:17:40,233
Having professionally toured
Europe and North America
349
00:17:40,363 --> 00:17:43,105
with his wife Mildred
throughout the 1930s and '40s,
350
00:17:43,236 --> 00:17:46,543
Robert was now a man
who struggled to find work
351
00:17:46,674 --> 00:17:49,155
that earned him enough
to provide for his family.
352
00:17:49,285 --> 00:17:54,073
But now, after reading about the
possibility of a vast treasure
353
00:17:54,203 --> 00:17:57,641
buried deep beneath the surface
of a small Canadian island,
354
00:17:57,772 --> 00:18:01,906
Robert became convinced that he
had both the engineering skills
355
00:18:02,037 --> 00:18:07,695
and the determination
to solve the Oak Island mystery.
356
00:18:07,825 --> 00:18:10,915
Robert Restall
got involved in Oak Island
357
00:18:11,046 --> 00:18:13,614
like so many others have,
by reading a magazine article.
358
00:18:13,744 --> 00:18:16,095
So when he read
about Oak Island,
359
00:18:16,225 --> 00:18:20,490
he got every single available
document, book, you name it,
360
00:18:20,621 --> 00:18:23,450
maps, charts,
and studied Oak Island.
361
00:18:23,580 --> 00:18:25,756
It was his passion.
He would stay up at night
362
00:18:25,887 --> 00:18:28,759
reading, like,
the survey maps of Oak Island
363
00:18:28,890 --> 00:18:31,197
and looking for clues
and codes and things.
364
00:18:31,327 --> 00:18:34,635
SHATNER:
After making a deal with the
owner of the island Mel Chappell
365
00:18:34,765 --> 00:18:37,812
on October 15, 1959,
366
00:18:37,942 --> 00:18:40,641
Robert Restall moves
his family onto the island
367
00:18:40,771 --> 00:18:42,817
and takes up the search.
368
00:18:42,947 --> 00:18:44,514
RICK RESTALL:
I was just a nine year old boy.
369
00:18:44,645 --> 00:18:47,038
It was, uh, it was like
leaving the city
370
00:18:47,169 --> 00:18:49,693
and arriving in some paradise.
371
00:18:49,824 --> 00:18:54,176
It was just full
of life, color, nature,
372
00:18:54,307 --> 00:18:56,178
and, uh, I couldn't
have been happier.
373
00:18:56,309 --> 00:19:00,139
For almost two or three years,
I think,
374
00:19:00,269 --> 00:19:02,706
I was the luckiest kid
in the world.
375
00:19:06,754 --> 00:19:09,974
Many people talk about
the treasure of Oak Island,
376
00:19:10,105 --> 00:19:15,980
but the treasure to my dad
was not so much the money,
377
00:19:16,111 --> 00:19:20,855
but it was being the one
who was able to unravel
378
00:19:20,985 --> 00:19:24,424
the mystery of the island.
379
00:19:26,382 --> 00:19:29,124
RICK: The men were
always busy digging...
380
00:19:31,344 --> 00:19:35,130
...or writing letters
to investors
381
00:19:35,261 --> 00:19:36,740
or working
on a piece of machinery
382
00:19:36,871 --> 00:19:40,135
that was becoming problematic.
383
00:19:41,267 --> 00:19:44,052
Or as Bobby did, uh,
384
00:19:44,183 --> 00:19:48,752
making maps and drawings
of the work that was ongoing.
385
00:19:51,146 --> 00:19:53,583
LAMB:
My dad was totally innovative.
386
00:19:53,714 --> 00:19:55,716
And he knew what
the others had done
387
00:19:55,846 --> 00:19:57,848
and where they had fallen short.
388
00:19:57,979 --> 00:20:00,677
Up to that point,
people didn't really trust
389
00:20:00,808 --> 00:20:03,158
the work of the person
ahead of them.
390
00:20:03,289 --> 00:20:05,726
But Dad wasn't gonna
make that mistake.
391
00:20:05,856 --> 00:20:09,208
He was going to take everything
just the one step further.
392
00:20:09,338 --> 00:20:11,210
That's all he had to do.
393
00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:13,734
It wasn't a big deal.
394
00:20:13,864 --> 00:20:16,171
And he really believed he could
do it in about three months.
395
00:20:18,521 --> 00:20:20,828
SHATNER:
Unfortunately
for Robert Restall,
396
00:20:20,958 --> 00:20:24,962
three months eventually became
five long years,
397
00:20:25,093 --> 00:20:29,053
during which his family endured
the harshest of conditions.
398
00:20:29,184 --> 00:20:31,839
Bitter cold in the winter,
399
00:20:31,969 --> 00:20:34,058
sweltering heat
during the summer.
400
00:20:34,189 --> 00:20:35,886
For Robert Restall,
401
00:20:36,017 --> 00:20:39,934
determination eventually
turned into desperation.
402
00:20:40,064 --> 00:20:44,634
And desperation into obsession.
403
00:20:44,765 --> 00:20:46,114
If you're trying
to understand the mindset
404
00:20:46,245 --> 00:20:48,421
of a treasure hunter,
it's actually very useful
405
00:20:48,551 --> 00:20:50,684
to try to understand
the psychology behind gambling.
406
00:20:52,163 --> 00:20:55,645
Sometimes gamblers will spend
many, many hours
407
00:20:55,776 --> 00:20:58,692
at the same slot machine,
and in a sense, you could say
408
00:20:58,822 --> 00:21:01,216
that's like a microcosm
of what's happening
409
00:21:01,347 --> 00:21:03,697
with very obsessed
treasure hunters.
410
00:21:03,827 --> 00:21:07,875
In the case of either
treasure hunting or gambling,
411
00:21:08,005 --> 00:21:10,660
if the person is failing
after many repeated attempts
412
00:21:10,791 --> 00:21:12,749
and not getting any reward,
413
00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,536
most often, people will
eventually give out.
414
00:21:18,581 --> 00:21:22,237
But that's what separates
these obsessive personalities
415
00:21:22,368 --> 00:21:24,674
from the ones
that will just quit.
416
00:21:24,805 --> 00:21:28,287
And they will keep
on chasing that rush
417
00:21:28,417 --> 00:21:30,289
and building up
that anticipation
418
00:21:30,419 --> 00:21:32,726
until they get rewards.
419
00:21:34,554 --> 00:21:37,687
I think obsession
is the salient characteristic
420
00:21:37,818 --> 00:21:38,949
of what happens on this island.
421
00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,255
I really, really do.
422
00:21:40,386 --> 00:21:43,258
And knowing
that that condition exists here,
423
00:21:43,389 --> 00:21:45,652
I think
it's something to be wary of.
424
00:21:45,782 --> 00:21:49,046
I think it's easy
to become obsessed with this.
425
00:21:49,177 --> 00:21:52,920
I feel that the treasure is here
and that we can get it,
426
00:21:53,050 --> 00:21:56,880
and we're going to stay here
until we do.
427
00:21:57,011 --> 00:21:59,753
SHATNER:
By 1965, Robert Restall
had poured everything he had
428
00:21:59,883 --> 00:22:01,363
into Oak Island.
429
00:22:01,494 --> 00:22:04,235
He couldn't leave empty-handed.
430
00:22:04,366 --> 00:22:07,891
And then, on August 17, 1965,
431
00:22:08,022 --> 00:22:09,153
Robert Restall,
432
00:22:09,284 --> 00:22:12,026
his eldest son Bobby,
433
00:22:12,156 --> 00:22:13,941
and two of his coworkers
434
00:22:14,071 --> 00:22:17,292
would become part
of Oak Island history.
435
00:22:17,423 --> 00:22:21,035
But not in the way
they had hoped.
436
00:22:21,165 --> 00:22:23,733
That afternoon,
Robert had intended to travel
437
00:22:23,864 --> 00:22:25,996
to the mainland
to visit the bank.
438
00:22:26,127 --> 00:22:27,998
But he took one last walk
to take another look
439
00:22:28,129 --> 00:22:30,000
at their current work.
440
00:22:30,131 --> 00:22:32,960
And while he was looking
in the shaft,
441
00:22:33,090 --> 00:22:34,918
he tumbled in.
442
00:22:35,049 --> 00:22:36,355
♪
443
00:22:36,485 --> 00:22:38,748
His son Bobby saw his father
444
00:22:38,879 --> 00:22:40,228
tumble into the shaft,
445
00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,144
and quickly went to his aid.
446
00:22:43,274 --> 00:22:45,842
Carl Graeser
was very close behind,
447
00:22:45,973 --> 00:22:48,018
Cyril Hiltz, Andrew DeMont
448
00:22:48,149 --> 00:22:50,194
and Leonard Kaizer
449
00:22:50,325 --> 00:22:53,589
also followed them down
into the shaft.
450
00:22:59,987 --> 00:23:04,078
Of all the individuals
that entered the shaft,
451
00:23:04,208 --> 00:23:06,385
only two were saved.
452
00:23:06,515 --> 00:23:09,170
They all seemed
to have been overcome
453
00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:12,391
by some gas in the shaft.
454
00:23:12,521 --> 00:23:14,958
SHATNER:
By the end of that tragic day,
455
00:23:15,089 --> 00:23:18,745
Oak Island's deadly curse
had added the names of four men
456
00:23:18,875 --> 00:23:20,877
to its list of victims:
457
00:23:21,008 --> 00:23:22,836
Robert Restall,
458
00:23:22,966 --> 00:23:24,228
his son Bobby,
459
00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:25,839
Cyril Hiltz
460
00:23:25,969 --> 00:23:27,884
and Carl Graeser.
461
00:23:28,015 --> 00:23:33,020
And in a morbid twist
on an already sad tale,
462
00:23:33,150 --> 00:23:36,327
a rumor was being spread
463
00:23:36,458 --> 00:23:39,418
that not only was
the Oak Island curse real
464
00:23:39,548 --> 00:23:41,942
but that one more
would have to die
465
00:23:42,072 --> 00:23:44,553
in pursuit of the treasure
466
00:23:44,684 --> 00:23:48,383
before the Oak Island mystery
could be solved.
467
00:23:48,514 --> 00:23:52,213
The idea of seven people dying
seems to have come
468
00:23:52,343 --> 00:23:55,912
from a 1967 article
in Truemagazine.
469
00:23:56,043 --> 00:23:58,785
It was attributing this
to a local legend
470
00:23:58,915 --> 00:24:01,091
that said seven men have to die
471
00:24:01,222 --> 00:24:04,138
before the treasure
will be found.
472
00:24:04,268 --> 00:24:08,185
SHATNER:
But is the notion of an
Oak Island curse simply made-up,
473
00:24:08,316 --> 00:24:11,362
the product
of a pulp writer's fantasy?
474
00:24:11,493 --> 00:24:14,148
Or is it real?
475
00:24:14,278 --> 00:24:16,933
There are many who insist
that not only is it real
476
00:24:17,064 --> 00:24:19,022
but that its origins
477
00:24:19,153 --> 00:24:22,069
stretch back
long before the days of pirates,
478
00:24:22,199 --> 00:24:24,027
all the way back
479
00:24:24,158 --> 00:24:27,291
to the days
of the Knights Templar.
480
00:24:32,079 --> 00:24:34,037
♪
481
00:24:38,259 --> 00:24:40,348
I mean, this is
an ideal situation, Rick,
482
00:24:40,479 --> 00:24:41,915
because, obviously,
it's low tide.
483
00:24:42,045 --> 00:24:44,700
-RICK: Mm-hmm.
-We got these rock pools.
484
00:24:44,831 --> 00:24:45,875
RICK:
So, you're thinking between
485
00:24:46,006 --> 00:24:47,224
the beach
and the old cofferdams.
486
00:24:47,355 --> 00:24:49,400
-This is a perfect spot?
-Yeah.
487
00:24:49,531 --> 00:24:50,793
So, let's see
if we can find something.
488
00:24:50,924 --> 00:24:52,099
SHATNER:
While searching
489
00:24:52,229 --> 00:24:54,057
along a stretch
of Oak Island's shoreline,
490
00:24:54,188 --> 00:24:57,713
Rick Lagina and metal detection
expert Gary Drayton
491
00:24:57,844 --> 00:24:59,236
make a shocking discovery...
492
00:24:59,367 --> 00:25:02,762
[beeping]
493
00:25:02,892 --> 00:25:04,328
That's worth digging, Rick.
494
00:25:06,635 --> 00:25:09,159
SHATNER: ...one that would
ultimately shed light
495
00:25:09,290 --> 00:25:11,945
on the Oak Island curse.
496
00:25:12,075 --> 00:25:13,816
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
497
00:25:13,947 --> 00:25:15,470
What?
498
00:25:15,601 --> 00:25:17,037
-I don't see anything.
-I see something.
499
00:25:17,167 --> 00:25:19,387
[beeping]
500
00:25:23,826 --> 00:25:25,045
Holy...
501
00:25:25,175 --> 00:25:28,004
Holy schmoly, all right.
502
00:25:28,135 --> 00:25:30,354
-RICK: It's a cross.
-That's a cross.
503
00:25:32,008 --> 00:25:33,444
There's a square hole.
504
00:25:33,575 --> 00:25:35,359
Yeah, right there.
505
00:25:35,490 --> 00:25:37,013
It's heavy, too.
506
00:25:37,144 --> 00:25:38,449
Oh, my gosh. I mean,
507
00:25:38,580 --> 00:25:41,148
that is an old, old cross.
508
00:25:42,279 --> 00:25:43,542
I didn't really know
509
00:25:43,672 --> 00:25:46,196
what it was until I pick it up
510
00:25:46,327 --> 00:25:47,894
and I can see
511
00:25:48,024 --> 00:25:50,766
this is a religious artifact.
512
00:25:50,897 --> 00:25:53,595
I could tell straightaway
513
00:25:53,726 --> 00:25:58,034
that this cross is
probably hundreds of years old.
514
00:25:58,165 --> 00:26:00,820
This isn't a modern design.
515
00:26:00,950 --> 00:26:02,343
I got to be honest,
when I first saw it,
516
00:26:02,473 --> 00:26:04,084
I'm thinking medieval.
517
00:26:04,214 --> 00:26:06,869
Sweet!
518
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,654
Gary was extremely excited.
519
00:26:08,784 --> 00:26:11,482
More excited than anything
he's ever found on the island.
520
00:26:11,613 --> 00:26:14,964
GARY:
This is the type of thing
I'd expect to find in Europe.
521
00:26:15,095 --> 00:26:20,056
I would say that is somewhere
between 1200 and 1600.
522
00:26:22,102 --> 00:26:23,146
RICK:
It's really that old?
523
00:26:23,277 --> 00:26:24,365
Yeah, that is old.
524
00:26:24,495 --> 00:26:26,497
That is really old.
525
00:26:26,628 --> 00:26:28,499
I've seen that shape before.
526
00:26:28,630 --> 00:26:30,240
I swear, that'll tell the tale
how old it is.
527
00:26:30,371 --> 00:26:31,851
-That shape.
-Yeah.
528
00:26:31,981 --> 00:26:34,201
Where do you think
you've seen it before?
529
00:26:34,331 --> 00:26:36,420
You know,
when I was in France,
530
00:26:36,551 --> 00:26:38,988
I swear
I saw a carving like that
531
00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,035
in the Templar prison in Domme.
532
00:26:42,165 --> 00:26:45,299
♪
533
00:26:45,429 --> 00:26:47,388
SHATNER:
Incredibly, it was while
on a research trip to France
534
00:26:47,518 --> 00:26:49,433
one month earlier
535
00:26:49,564 --> 00:26:52,611
that Rick Lagina was shown
a virtually identical carving
536
00:26:52,741 --> 00:26:56,789
etched into the wall
of Domme Prison,
537
00:26:56,919 --> 00:26:59,443
a 13th-century fortress
538
00:26:59,574 --> 00:27:02,055
where 70 members of the Knights
Templar were imprisoned
539
00:27:02,185 --> 00:27:03,665
and tortured
540
00:27:03,796 --> 00:27:07,451
-prior to execution.
-[distorted shouting]
541
00:27:07,582 --> 00:27:10,367
But could the striking
similarity between the cross
542
00:27:10,498 --> 00:27:12,979
found by Rick Lagina
at Smith's Cove
543
00:27:13,109 --> 00:27:16,156
and the carving on the wall
at Domme Prison suggest
544
00:27:16,286 --> 00:27:18,637
that some members of the Knights
Templar actually made
545
00:27:18,767 --> 00:27:21,204
their way across the Atlantic
to North America
546
00:27:21,335 --> 00:27:24,860
centuries before Christopher
Columbus' historic voyage
547
00:27:24,991 --> 00:27:28,516
in 1492?
548
00:27:28,647 --> 00:27:31,693
The Knights Templar were founded
in the 12th century,
549
00:27:31,824 --> 00:27:34,609
and they were
the world's first combination
550
00:27:34,740 --> 00:27:37,525
of warrior and monk,
a security force
551
00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:39,440
of a sort
that would assist pilgrims
552
00:27:39,570 --> 00:27:42,443
on their journey
to the Holy Land.
553
00:27:42,573 --> 00:27:44,314
And one of the services
they provided
554
00:27:44,445 --> 00:27:47,317
was they would hold on to
and-and give safekeeping to any
555
00:27:47,448 --> 00:27:49,276
of the relics that pilgrims
would have gathered
556
00:27:49,406 --> 00:27:51,321
on their journey.
557
00:27:51,452 --> 00:27:54,107
They were the guardians
of a lot of the treasures
558
00:27:54,237 --> 00:27:56,936
of various kings
and popes and monarchs.
559
00:27:57,066 --> 00:27:59,547
And because
of their amazingeputation,
560
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:03,203
they became known as the world's
first international bankers.
561
00:28:04,639 --> 00:28:07,033
YOUNG:
The French crown
562
00:28:07,163 --> 00:28:09,688
had borrowed a great deal
of money from the organization,
563
00:28:09,818 --> 00:28:14,823
and so to get out
of paying back the order,
564
00:28:14,954 --> 00:28:17,304
the king of France decides
they are Satanists,
565
00:28:17,434 --> 00:28:21,482
and they're defiling the church.
566
00:28:21,612 --> 00:28:24,441
SANFORD HOLST:
The king of France then leaned
on the pope to back him up
567
00:28:24,572 --> 00:28:27,270
and press charges
against the Knights Templar.
568
00:28:27,401 --> 00:28:30,230
And here, the pope was siding
with the king of France,
569
00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:32,449
turning all of his people over
to be imprisoned
570
00:28:32,580 --> 00:28:35,409
and burned at the stake,
and they felt horribly betrayed.
571
00:28:38,020 --> 00:28:42,764
SHATNER:
On Friday 13, 1307,
572
00:28:42,895 --> 00:28:45,245
Pope Clement V
ordered the imprisonment
573
00:28:45,375 --> 00:28:47,029
of the Knights Templar,
574
00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:51,730
including their grandmaster
Jacques de Molay.
575
00:28:51,860 --> 00:28:53,906
Of the Templars
who were able to evade capture,
576
00:28:54,036 --> 00:28:56,082
many fled to Scotland,
577
00:28:56,212 --> 00:28:59,738
and as far as some
Templar scholars are concerned,
578
00:28:59,868 --> 00:29:01,391
successfully made their way
across the Atlantic
579
00:29:01,522 --> 00:29:03,089
to North America.
580
00:29:03,219 --> 00:29:07,310
But if such an audacious theory
is correct,
581
00:29:07,441 --> 00:29:09,312
is it also possible that
the Templars brought with them
582
00:29:09,443 --> 00:29:11,967
many of their riches
and religious artifacts
583
00:29:12,098 --> 00:29:15,144
that they rescued
from the Holy Land?
584
00:29:15,275 --> 00:29:19,540
The Knights Templar were formed
during the first Crusades,
585
00:29:19,670 --> 00:29:23,109
after the Christian knights
had come to the Holy Land
586
00:29:23,239 --> 00:29:24,153
and captured Jerusalem.
587
00:29:26,286 --> 00:29:29,289
And it's believed that possibly
they found the Holy Grail.
588
00:29:29,419 --> 00:29:31,378
They may have found
the Ark of the Covenant.
589
00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:36,383
COPPENS:
The Ark of the Covenant holds
590
00:29:36,513 --> 00:29:40,256
the covenant from God to man--
and that is, physically,
591
00:29:40,387 --> 00:29:43,651
the two tablets representing
the Ten Commandments.
592
00:29:45,609 --> 00:29:49,178
If the Templars were carrying
this extraordinary treasure
593
00:29:49,309 --> 00:29:51,311
to a place where
they wanted to be safe
594
00:29:51,441 --> 00:29:55,010
and create a New Jerusalem,
Oak Island makes sense.
595
00:29:56,446 --> 00:29:58,927
SHATNER:
The Ark of the Covenant.
596
00:29:59,058 --> 00:30:02,365
Is it possible that this most
sacred of all religious objects
597
00:30:02,496 --> 00:30:04,628
was brought to Oak Island
and buried,
598
00:30:04,759 --> 00:30:07,327
along with other
Templar treasures,
599
00:30:07,457 --> 00:30:10,591
in a booby-trapped vault
deep beneath the ground?
600
00:30:10,721 --> 00:30:14,508
It may sound
like a far-fetched notion,
601
00:30:14,638 --> 00:30:18,686
but according to both Oak Island
and Knights Templar researchers,
602
00:30:18,817 --> 00:30:21,863
the best proof of this theory
may be something
603
00:30:21,994 --> 00:30:25,475
that both the island
and the Templars have in common:
604
00:30:25,606 --> 00:30:29,828
a deadly curse.
605
00:30:29,958 --> 00:30:33,614
COPPENS:
When Jacques de Molay,
was brought to the stake,
606
00:30:33,744 --> 00:30:36,878
he gave a very powerful
and impassioned speech
607
00:30:37,009 --> 00:30:40,316
about his innocence and the
innocence of his entire order.
608
00:30:40,447 --> 00:30:42,797
It was a very dramatic speech
that to this day
609
00:30:42,928 --> 00:30:46,801
is talked about in France
and elsewhere.
610
00:30:46,932 --> 00:30:50,457
As Jacques de Molay stood
at the funeral pyre
611
00:30:50,587 --> 00:30:52,589
waiting for the flames
to consume him,
612
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:56,680
he cursed the king
and he cursed the pope.
613
00:30:56,811 --> 00:30:59,640
And he said that both of them
would be called before God
614
00:30:59,770 --> 00:31:02,251
before the end of a year
and a day.
615
00:31:02,382 --> 00:31:08,301
Within a year, the pope dies
of a prolonged illness.
616
00:31:08,431 --> 00:31:11,565
Within a year,
the king dies of a stroke
617
00:31:11,695 --> 00:31:13,567
on his way to go hunting.
618
00:31:13,697 --> 00:31:15,830
But it doesn't end there.
619
00:31:15,961 --> 00:31:19,529
Over the course
of the next 14 years,
620
00:31:19,660 --> 00:31:23,751
the king of France's line,
his three sons and his grandson,
621
00:31:23,882 --> 00:31:27,494
all die in somewhat
mysterious circumstances.
622
00:31:27,624 --> 00:31:30,801
YOUNG:
There is the kind
of curse that carries over,
623
00:31:30,932 --> 00:31:33,674
that has long-lasting
implications.
624
00:31:33,804 --> 00:31:37,286
When de Molay was killed
by the French crown,
625
00:31:37,417 --> 00:31:40,289
there was a curse-- perhaps on
France, perhaps on the materials
626
00:31:40,420 --> 00:31:43,727
or the wealth of the Templars--
that goes down through time.
627
00:31:43,858 --> 00:31:47,731
And anybody who recovers this
or has some interest
628
00:31:47,862 --> 00:31:50,952
might be hurt by them.
629
00:31:51,083 --> 00:31:54,260
Is it possible that the curse
somehow carried over
630
00:31:54,390 --> 00:31:56,523
and is protecting
whatever is buried
631
00:31:56,653 --> 00:31:59,265
in the Money Pit on Oak Island,
which some researchers
632
00:31:59,395 --> 00:32:01,397
have speculated is actually
the resting place
633
00:32:01,528 --> 00:32:03,138
of the Ark of the Covenant?
634
00:32:07,838 --> 00:32:10,537
Could the fabled riches
of the Knights Templar
635
00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:12,669
really lie buried
636
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:16,586
in an elaborately constructed
treasure vault on Oak Island?
637
00:32:16,717 --> 00:32:18,588
There are many
who believe the answer
638
00:32:18,719 --> 00:32:20,895
is a profound yes
639
00:32:21,026 --> 00:32:23,506
and that these riches
are still being protected
640
00:32:23,637 --> 00:32:27,293
by Jacques de Molay's
deadly curse,
641
00:32:27,423 --> 00:32:30,383
one that was designed
to keep the treasure hidden
642
00:32:30,513 --> 00:32:32,646
at all costs.
643
00:32:40,045 --> 00:32:42,743
SHATNER: Shortly after
performing the ancient practice
644
00:32:42,873 --> 00:32:45,615
known as dowsing,
which entails using metal rods
645
00:32:45,746 --> 00:32:48,488
to detect underground voids,
646
00:32:48,618 --> 00:32:51,099
treasure hunter Dan Henskee
647
00:32:51,230 --> 00:32:53,275
is suddenly overcome
with a strange
648
00:32:53,406 --> 00:32:55,625
and disturbing sensation.
649
00:32:57,540 --> 00:32:59,586
I don't actually know
if what's happened to me
650
00:32:59,716 --> 00:33:01,980
on Oak Island
was real or imaginary.
651
00:33:02,110 --> 00:33:04,634
It was quite strange.
652
00:33:07,681 --> 00:33:10,553
It involved
what appeared to be possession
653
00:33:10,684 --> 00:33:13,600
by a spirit
of someone long dead.
654
00:33:13,730 --> 00:33:17,125
I thought that the spirit
of a dead priest
655
00:33:17,256 --> 00:33:18,822
had entered my body
656
00:33:18,953 --> 00:33:20,650
and that the priest
had his throat cut.
657
00:33:20,781 --> 00:33:22,609
[man screams]
658
00:33:22,739 --> 00:33:26,265
-[heart beating]
-I do remember falling down,
659
00:33:26,395 --> 00:33:29,094
feeling that I was
experiencing the death
660
00:33:29,224 --> 00:33:31,879
of this person.
661
00:33:32,010 --> 00:33:35,274
SHATNER:
After Dan was able
to regain control of himself,
662
00:33:35,404 --> 00:33:38,146
he was left
with a daunting question:
663
00:33:38,277 --> 00:33:40,931
Was his experience
just a trick of his mind?
664
00:33:41,062 --> 00:33:44,457
Or could it
have really happened?
665
00:33:44,587 --> 00:33:46,633
Now, what makes this
really interesting
666
00:33:46,763 --> 00:33:48,852
is the fact
that he was able to determine
667
00:33:48,983 --> 00:33:50,637
that the entity possessing him
668
00:33:50,767 --> 00:33:53,379
was that
of an allegedly murdered priest.
669
00:33:53,509 --> 00:33:55,381
[man screams]
670
00:33:55,511 --> 00:33:57,078
Now, you might be wondering,
671
00:33:57,209 --> 00:34:00,038
how did he come by
this information?
672
00:34:00,168 --> 00:34:01,735
It's entirely possible
673
00:34:01,865 --> 00:34:04,477
that whatever
had been interacting with him
674
00:34:04,607 --> 00:34:07,567
literally just told him
that this is who I am
675
00:34:07,697 --> 00:34:09,395
and this is what happened to me.
676
00:34:10,570 --> 00:34:12,528
SHATNER:
While many think
677
00:34:12,659 --> 00:34:14,574
that Dan's story
is too bizarre to believe,
678
00:34:14,704 --> 00:34:17,577
it's not an isolated event.
679
00:34:17,707 --> 00:34:19,883
Throughout Oak Island's history,
680
00:34:20,014 --> 00:34:23,322
tales of frightening,
mystical phenomena
681
00:34:23,452 --> 00:34:25,454
are as numerous as the theories
682
00:34:25,585 --> 00:34:27,630
concerning
the legendary treasure.
683
00:34:29,458 --> 00:34:31,678
One of the more interesting
extreme reports
684
00:34:31,808 --> 00:34:33,332
comes from a man
named Fred Nolan.
685
00:34:33,462 --> 00:34:36,335
He was convinced
686
00:34:36,465 --> 00:34:38,598
that the ravens on the island
were possessed
687
00:34:38,728 --> 00:34:40,904
by the souls of former slaves
688
00:34:41,035 --> 00:34:43,820
who had helped in digging
the pits and the flood tunnels.
689
00:34:43,951 --> 00:34:46,084
[squawks]
690
00:34:47,259 --> 00:34:48,608
There have been
all kinds of stories
691
00:34:48,738 --> 00:34:52,220
about a dog with fiery eyes.
692
00:34:52,351 --> 00:34:53,700
[growling]
693
00:34:53,830 --> 00:34:56,833
People have told me
694
00:34:56,964 --> 00:35:00,446
stories of their father
or their grandfather
695
00:35:00,576 --> 00:35:03,492
wandering across the island
and seeing this dog.
696
00:35:04,798 --> 00:35:07,627
Red glowing eyes
have also been reported,
697
00:35:07,757 --> 00:35:10,195
uh, in another story.
698
00:35:10,325 --> 00:35:13,285
After the Restall Tragedy,
699
00:35:13,415 --> 00:35:15,678
one of the people that worked
for them, Jim Kaizer...
700
00:35:15,809 --> 00:35:18,290
He often worked
as a night watchman.
701
00:35:18,420 --> 00:35:21,423
One night, he was staying
in the Restalls' cabin,
702
00:35:21,554 --> 00:35:24,513
and he woke up to a feeling
703
00:35:24,644 --> 00:35:26,689
of a great weight on his chest.
704
00:35:26,820 --> 00:35:29,997
He had these two red eyes
staring at him in the dark,
705
00:35:30,128 --> 00:35:32,042
and he heard a voice tell him
to leave the island
706
00:35:32,173 --> 00:35:34,523
-and never come back.
-[indistinct whispering]
707
00:35:34,654 --> 00:35:36,917
And in the morning,
when he woke up,
708
00:35:37,047 --> 00:35:39,006
he had bruises all over him.
709
00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:41,617
Jimmy Kaizer
was a real stand-up guy,
710
00:35:41,748 --> 00:35:43,663
an unshakeable sort,
711
00:35:43,793 --> 00:35:45,926
and this particular event,
I think,
712
00:35:46,056 --> 00:35:48,842
from all accounts,
really affected him
713
00:35:48,972 --> 00:35:50,887
for the rest of his life.
714
00:35:53,063 --> 00:35:54,717
SHATNER:
Although most would agree
715
00:35:54,848 --> 00:35:57,851
that Oak Island
is an unusual place,
716
00:35:57,981 --> 00:36:00,941
could any physical evidence
exist to support the notion
717
00:36:01,071 --> 00:36:03,770
that there really is
a supernatural presence
718
00:36:03,900 --> 00:36:05,250
on the island?
719
00:36:05,380 --> 00:36:07,687
[squawks]
720
00:36:07,817 --> 00:36:09,645
For many, the evidence lies
721
00:36:09,776 --> 00:36:12,518
in the unusual
electrical activity
722
00:36:12,648 --> 00:36:14,694
that regularly happens there.
723
00:36:14,824 --> 00:36:16,348
One of the first things
724
00:36:16,478 --> 00:36:19,046
is people here will have
brand-new cell phones,
725
00:36:19,177 --> 00:36:21,396
and the batteries
will constantly drain out.
726
00:36:21,527 --> 00:36:25,008
There is a Bermuda Triangle
for Oak Island
727
00:36:25,139 --> 00:36:27,707
that occurs between Apple Island
and Frog Island
728
00:36:27,837 --> 00:36:29,535
coming up to Oak Island.
729
00:36:29,665 --> 00:36:31,885
[engine whirring]
730
00:36:32,015 --> 00:36:35,018
Everything will go dead, you
will lose power in your boat.
731
00:36:35,149 --> 00:36:38,718
It's happened to several people
in this particular spot.
732
00:36:38,848 --> 00:36:41,808
There's no explanation for it
or the reasons why.
733
00:36:41,938 --> 00:36:44,724
SHATNER:
But are strange
electrical anomalies
734
00:36:44,854 --> 00:36:47,030
really evidence of a curse?
735
00:36:47,161 --> 00:36:49,685
Isn't it more likely
that the bizarre occurrences
736
00:36:49,816 --> 00:36:54,255
experienced on the island have a
perfectly rational explanation?
737
00:36:54,386 --> 00:36:57,171
Perhaps.
738
00:36:57,302 --> 00:36:59,826
But as far as two of the
islands' owners are concerned,
739
00:36:59,956 --> 00:37:03,308
the notion that dark forces
might be at work
740
00:37:03,438 --> 00:37:06,702
is not so easy to dismiss.
741
00:37:06,833 --> 00:37:10,184
You know, I'm a skeptic
about paranormal stuff,
742
00:37:10,315 --> 00:37:12,491
[laughs]: but I spent,
but I spent one night--
743
00:37:12,621 --> 00:37:14,232
I said, "I'm gonna go
check this out myself."
744
00:37:16,843 --> 00:37:18,845
So we drive out,
it's dark as can be,
745
00:37:18,975 --> 00:37:21,630
and it gets, um,
sort of, like, misty.
746
00:37:23,545 --> 00:37:25,504
A lot of fog and stuff,
you know.
747
00:37:25,634 --> 00:37:28,855
It's a spooky--
It is a spooky place at night.
748
00:37:28,985 --> 00:37:31,423
Rick walked off,
and I'm kind of sitting there
749
00:37:31,553 --> 00:37:32,946
thinking, "Well, this is silly."
750
00:37:33,076 --> 00:37:34,774
And I got out of the car,
and I'm kind of leaning
751
00:37:34,904 --> 00:37:37,124
against the car-- it's pitch
black-- and all of a sudden,
752
00:37:37,255 --> 00:37:40,301
I heard the nastiest scream
you've ever heard in your life.
753
00:37:40,432 --> 00:37:42,260
I mean, a bloodcurdling scream.
754
00:37:43,870 --> 00:37:46,699
[laughs]:
Scared the bejibbers out of me.
755
00:37:46,829 --> 00:37:48,004
I jumped back in the car
and I took off.
756
00:37:48,135 --> 00:37:50,268
And-and I almost ran him over.
757
00:37:52,922 --> 00:37:56,230
So, uh, intellectually, I don't
believe that sort of thing,
758
00:37:56,361 --> 00:38:00,103
but you know, emotionally,
it seems to happen.
759
00:38:00,234 --> 00:38:01,714
And there have been
plenty of instances
760
00:38:01,844 --> 00:38:04,673
where that exact thing
has done-- has happened.
761
00:38:04,804 --> 00:38:07,328
And there's no logic
to why they happen.
762
00:38:07,459 --> 00:38:10,288
That's what's... strange.
763
00:38:17,686 --> 00:38:19,601
♪
764
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:25,259
SHATNER: Is there really
an Oak Island curse?
765
00:38:27,087 --> 00:38:28,915
There are many who believe
the answer's yes,
766
00:38:29,045 --> 00:38:32,005
but they'll also tell you
that it isn't a curse
767
00:38:32,135 --> 00:38:36,270
that involves dark forces
or threats of death.
768
00:38:38,141 --> 00:38:42,363
They believe it's the one
that takes root in the mind
769
00:38:42,494 --> 00:38:45,323
of every would-be
treasure hunter.
770
00:38:52,112 --> 00:38:54,723
There are many psychological
processes that could explain
771
00:38:54,854 --> 00:38:58,727
why a person actually spends
years searching for something,
772
00:38:58,858 --> 00:39:01,817
doesn't find it and keeps
doing it for even more years.
773
00:39:01,948 --> 00:39:05,604
So, one explanation
is this sunken cost fallacy,
774
00:39:05,734 --> 00:39:08,171
and the idea there
is that if you think
775
00:39:08,302 --> 00:39:10,870
you've already invested
a lot in finding something
776
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,133
or pursuing something,
777
00:39:13,263 --> 00:39:17,703
then you don't want that
investment to go to waste,
778
00:39:17,833 --> 00:39:20,009
so you're willing to put in
more investment
779
00:39:20,140 --> 00:39:22,621
into the pursuit of the thing
that you still didn't find.
780
00:39:22,751 --> 00:39:25,624
And additionally,
they're often very worried
781
00:39:25,754 --> 00:39:27,713
that if they leave
this treasure hunt site,
782
00:39:27,843 --> 00:39:30,455
someone else might come
and swoop in right after them
783
00:39:30,585 --> 00:39:32,761
and benefit from all of the work
784
00:39:32,892 --> 00:39:35,416
they have been doing all this
time and get the big rewards.
785
00:39:37,157 --> 00:39:40,421
I don't know what it is
about the island
786
00:39:40,552 --> 00:39:42,945
that so captivates people.
787
00:39:43,076 --> 00:39:47,515
But I do know
that it really does.
788
00:39:47,646 --> 00:39:50,344
It really does,
and it goes beyond reason.
789
00:39:53,260 --> 00:39:55,175
RICK:
I can see the fascination.
790
00:39:55,305 --> 00:39:58,134
If the accident
hadn't happened when it did,
791
00:39:58,265 --> 00:40:00,615
and I had come
to the age of 16 or so,
792
00:40:00,746 --> 00:40:04,227
I can see myself
taking shovel in hand
793
00:40:04,358 --> 00:40:09,015
and becoming so upset with
the cursedness of this mystery
794
00:40:09,145 --> 00:40:11,365
and going after
the answer myself.
795
00:40:13,149 --> 00:40:16,588
CANO:
Perhaps the legend of a curse,
796
00:40:16,718 --> 00:40:20,461
the reason for it existing
is to hide something.
797
00:40:20,592 --> 00:40:23,159
And the fact that people
are searching,
798
00:40:23,290 --> 00:40:25,901
people are actively saying,
"I'm gonna go against this
799
00:40:26,032 --> 00:40:28,643
and I'm gonna
look for it anyway,"
800
00:40:28,774 --> 00:40:32,995
that inherently gives the curse
a reason for being.
801
00:40:33,126 --> 00:40:36,129
There is a definite presence
on Oak Island,
802
00:40:36,259 --> 00:40:39,654
and I don't know
if this feeds into the curse,
803
00:40:39,785 --> 00:40:41,787
or if this is something
completely different.
804
00:40:41,917 --> 00:40:45,704
Or manifested because
of the general knowledge
805
00:40:45,834 --> 00:40:48,533
that there may be
a curse on the island.
806
00:40:51,274 --> 00:40:53,102
I think the island is cursed
or there at least
807
00:40:53,233 --> 00:40:56,062
is some negative energy around
the multiple layers of history.
808
00:40:56,192 --> 00:40:59,587
I think the curse
shows up in many forms,
809
00:40:59,718 --> 00:41:03,678
whether it's greed, obsession
or financial difficulty.
810
00:41:03,809 --> 00:41:08,640
And I think something is still
unresolved and unsettled.
811
00:41:08,770 --> 00:41:11,991
The curse is the way Oak Island
swallows people's lives.
812
00:41:12,121 --> 00:41:14,602
It consumes their fortunes,
813
00:41:14,733 --> 00:41:18,258
and in many cases,
destroys their sanity.
814
00:41:18,388 --> 00:41:20,826
The curse of Oak Island
is that once you get in,
815
00:41:20,956 --> 00:41:22,567
it's really hard to get out.
816
00:41:26,266 --> 00:41:29,225
Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina
and the other members
817
00:41:29,356 --> 00:41:31,706
of the Oak Island team
are risking
818
00:41:31,837 --> 00:41:34,143
an incredible amount
of time and money
819
00:41:34,274 --> 00:41:37,538
looking for a fabled treasure
on Oak Island.
820
00:41:37,669 --> 00:41:42,195
But are they also risking
their lives?
821
00:41:42,325 --> 00:41:45,851
See, one thing is certain:
so far, six men have died
822
00:41:45,981 --> 00:41:47,548
searching for the answer.
823
00:41:47,679 --> 00:41:52,118
And according to legend,
one more will have to die
824
00:41:52,248 --> 00:41:54,686
before what lies buried there
can be found
825
00:41:54,816 --> 00:41:59,125
and the Oak Island mystery
will no longer be among
826
00:41:59,255 --> 00:42:02,476
The UnXplained.
827
00:42:02,607 --> 00:42:03,738
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