Bering Sea Gold

Narrator: WITH JUST A WEEK AND A HALF REMAINING

IN THE WINTER MINING SEASON...

GOLD'S GOOD AT PLAYING HIDE-AND-SEEK.

HOPEFULLY THIS BIG MOVE PAYS OFF.

Narrator: TENSIONS ARE ON THE RISE.

WE'RE OUT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS ALREADY,

AND WE AIN'T SEEIN' THOSE BIG PILES OF GOLD

WE WERE HOPIN' TO SEE.

TIME TO MAKE SOME GOLD.

Narrator: THE DREDGING FLEET HAS GONE ALL IN TRYING TO MAKE

THE SHORT SEASON PROFITABLE...

SERIOUSLY, THEY NEED SOME GOLD IN THE BOX.

...BUT NO ONE HAS HIT THE JACKPOT.

SEASON'S DAMN NEAR OVER.

LOTTA BILLS TO PAY, JUST RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS HERE.

Narrator: NOW, PRESSURE TO PRODUCE GOLD

IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH...

WE REALLY HAVE TO JUST PICK IT UP.

WE NEED ANOTHER 10 OUNCES OR SO TO EVEN JUSTIFY THE COST.

-AND EVERY SECOND COUNTS. -YOU KNOW WHAT?

THIS IS GONNA BE A FAILURE OF THE SEASON

IF I DON'T GET 70 OUNCES.

IT'S EITHER THIS RIGHT HERE,

OR I'M BACK WORKING FOR MY DAD ON TUESDAY.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: 100 MILES EAST OF NOME...

AT THE BLUFF...

EITHER I GOT A LOT FATTER, OR THE SUIT GOT TIGHTER.

HOPEFULLY I'M SEEIN' GOLD ON THE BOTTOM.

HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE TO PICK UP EVERYTHING AND MOVE IT.

...CAPTAIN SHAWN POMRENKE IS SUITING UP...

-HERE WE GO. -FOR ONE MORE SHOT AT GLORY.

THIS STATION'S RUNNING HIGH TO FIND SOME GOLD.

WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKIN' OUR ASSES OFF,

SO WE DESERVE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR.

HOPEFULLY TODAY IS THE DAY.

Narrator: THIS WINTER,

SHAWN STAKED NEARLY 30 GRAND OF FAMILY MONEY

ON THE CHANCE OF HITTING IT BIG IN THE WILD.

IT'S A SIGN THERE'S GOLD IN THE AREA.

Narrator: BUT SETBACK...

WE'VE ALREADY BURNED 200 GALLONS OF GAS ALMOST.

...AFTER SETBACK HAS KEPT HIM FROM THE MOTHER LODE.

IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE OUT HERE.

SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE TURN AROUND,

SOMETHING ELSE IS BREAKIN' OR GOING WRONG.

Narrator: NOW, HE'S GOT JUST 11 DAYS

TO PROVE THE TRIP WASN'T A WASTE.

OH, .

THAT GUY'S FLYIN' REALLY LOW.

WHOO-HOO! WHOA-HO-HO! WE JUST GOT BUZZED!

WHO IN THE HELL'S THAT?

HE'S COMIN' IN TO LAND.

WHOA! THAT'S GNARLY, DUDE, THAT WIND AND THE BUMPS.

WHOO-HOO.

-WE MADE IT. -IT'S THE OLD MAN.

OH, NO.

ANYTHING GETTIN' DONE AROUND HERE?

Narrator: NEVER ONE TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES, SHAWN'S FATHER

AND CO-OWNER OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS, STEVE POMRENKE.

SOMEBODY'S GOTTA KEEP YOU GUYS IN LINE.

GOT ANY GOLD YET OR NOT?

I BROUGHT MY SUITCASE AND MY DOWSING RODS.

THAT'S A PRETTY SUITCASE YOU GOT THERE.

YEAH, PRETTY ROSY, AIN'T IT?

'CAUSE I'M TRYIN' TO BE TENDER, NOT SO ROUGH AND GRUFF.

-Narrator: FOR SHAWN... -IF YOU TALK TO ME

LIKE HUMAN BEING, IT MIGHT WORK.

...PLEASING THE OLD MAN HAS BEEN A CONSTANT STRUGGLE.

I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TALKING

ABOUT ME TO OTHER PEOPLE.

BECAUSE YOU GIVE US SO MUCH AMMUNITION.

Narrator: NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE RAKES IN...

THAT'S 10 POUNDS OF GOLD RIGHT THERE.

WE BETTER GET A HELL OF A LOT MORE.

COME ON.

...IT NEVER SEEMS TO BE QUITE ENOUGH...

DON'T NEED YOU TO RUN THE CHRISTINE ROSE.

YOU THINK WE NEED YOU THAT BAD?

...LEAVING FATHER AND SON WITH A LOT OF BAGGAGE.

WELL, YEAH, SHAWN.

WHAT DO WE GOT INVESTED IN THIS WHOLE TRIP SO FAR?

-WE'RE PROBABLY 30 GRAND. -30 GRAND?

I HOPE WE GET SOME OF THIS MONEY BACK.

I KNOW THESE GUYS.

AND WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER

AND GO OUT SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY,

IT JUST TURNS INTO A BIG PARTY.

YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKIN' AT THE CHECKBOOK

AND WHAT SHAWN'S SPENDING ON THIS HERE BLUFF TRIP,

AND BY GOD, THEY SHOULD COME BACK WITH 30 OUNCES

TO PAY FOR THE TRIP.

GET YOUR ASS DOWN THERE AND GET SOME GOLD UP HERE.

DAD SHOWED UP.

NOW THE PRESSURE'S ON TO FIND THE GOLD AND SHOW HIM THAT,

HEY, THERE'S ACTUALLY A TON OF GOLD DOWN HERE.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT'S DOWN HERE.

Narrator: AS SHAWN LOOKS TO IMPRESS HIS POPS...

...100 MILES TO THE WEST, OFF THE COAST OF NOME...

THIS'LL BE OUR FINAL PUSH.

WE MAY NOT HAVE TIME TO DO ANOTHER HOLE.

Narrator: WITH JUST 11 DAYS REMAINING TO MAKE A PROFIT,

WILD RANGER OWNER VERNON ADKISON IS FEELING THE PINCH.

EVERYBODY'S MOVING AROUND HERE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.

Narrator: THIS SEASON...

COME MEET YOUR COMPETITION.

...VERNON ROLLED THE DICE, SPENDING $100,000,

BRINGING TO TOWN A STATE-OF-THE-ART SUB-DREDGE.

SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING LODGED.

UH, TAKE A TIME-OUT REAL QUICK.

BUT EVEN AFTER WORKING OUT THE KINKS...

ALL RIGHT, 7.25.

...THEY'VE ONLY RECOVERED $11,000 IN GOLD.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

NOW I WANNA GET TO THE POINT

WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING SOME SERIOUS GOLD WITH IT.

Narrator: NOW, ON A FRESH DIVE HOLE,

THE SKIPPER NEEDS THIS NEW SPOT TO LAST HIM THE SEASON.

I'VE DONE EVERYTHING MECHANICALLY WE CAN DO

TO MAKE THIS THING MAKE MONEY.

BUT I NEED GOOD EYES DOWN THERE.

Narrator: FOR CREW CHIEF DEREK McLARTY,

THE SUB-DREDGE HAS ONE BIG BLIND SPOT.

YOU ONLY GET AS MUCH GOLD AS YOU FIND.

IT'S LIKE HAVING A REALLY NICE SET OF SHOELACES

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SHOES.

THAT ROBOT CAN'T SEE GOLD. IT CAN'T PROSPECT.

SO PUT A GOOD PROSPECTOR DOWN, FIND GOLD,

HIT IT WITH THE ROBOT.

CUT AND DRY.

AS FAR AS SPENSER GOES IN PROSPECTING,

I'D PUT HIM UP AGAINST ANYBODY.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE I COULD GET, SAY,

SPENSER TO DO SOME PROSPECTING DOWN THERE?

I KNOW BOBBY'S A WORKHORSE.

BUT, MAN, THAT SPENSER -- HE CAN SEE THAT GOLD REAL WELL.

YEAH, I KNOW HE IS A GOOD PROSPECTOR.

SO, UH, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES,

AND HOPEFULLY PRETTY DAMN QUICK.

Narrator: HEADING DOWN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON PAY DIRT,

VETERAN MINER SPENSER McCLESKEY.

I'VE BEEN DREDGING SINCE I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD.

MY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY, MY PARENTS

BOUGHT ME A GOLD PAN AND A SLUICE BOX.

AND I USED TO MOW THE NEIGHBOR'S LAWN AND GIVE MY MOM GAS MONEY

TO TAKE ME TO THE RIVER TO GO GET GOLD.

THIS IS WHAT I WAS BORN AND RAISED TO DO.

Derek: JUST PROSPECT IT OUT.

DON'T TRY TO WORK A BUNCH OF MATERIAL.

IF YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING AND SEND UP DUCTS

OR JUST SOMETHING SO YOU KNOW WHERE THE ROBOT CAN GO,

MAYBE WE CAN WIPE THIS HOLE OUT IN A DAY OR TWO INSTEAD OF...

A-A WEEK.

-GET SOME. -YEAH!

ALL RIGHT. I JUST HIT THE BOTTOM.

I'M, UH, HEADIN' TOWARDS THE NOZZLE.

I'M GONNA START DOIN' SOME PROSPECTIN'.

ALL RIGHT...

YEAH, I'M SOUTH OF THE HOLE NOW.

WORKING INTO THIS COBBLE.

HEY, SPENSER, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING UNDER THERE?

WELL, I'M, UH, NOT REALLY SEEIN' MUCH GOLD YET.

BUT I'M GONNA KEEP, UH, POPPIN' AROUND SEEING WHAT I CAN SEE,

TRYING TO FIND THIS PAY STREAK SO WE CAN ALL MAKE SOME MONEY.

Narrator: WHILE SPENSER STARTS THE HUNT...

JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY,

AT THE PADDY WAGON...

MY BROTHER'S A WEIRDO.

HE GOES BACK AND WORKS WITH MY DAD

RATHER THAN TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK WITH HIM AND I.

HE'S GOT NO LOYALTY TO ANYBODY BUT HIMSELF.

Narrator: ONCE AGAIN, THE HOUSE OF KELLY

IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF.

HE KINDA REALLY PISSED ME OFF.

LET HIM STAY WITH MY DAD.

I DON'T NEED THAT LOSER ANYWAYS.

Narrator: A WEEK AGO...

I MEAN, I CAME HERE TO DREDGE AND NOT BUILD DREDGES.

...AFTER KRIS' DREDGE BROKE DOWN...

I'LL DO IT MYSELF, YOU IDIOT!

OKAY. OKAY!

...ANDY RETURNED TO WORK FOR THE OLD MAN.

GOOD TO BE BACK AT THE REEFER WHERE I BELONG.

...TAKING THE QUICKEST ROUTE...

TO A VERY SMALL PAYDAY.

NOW WITH THE TWO DREDGES SIDE-BY-SIDE...

ANDY, YOU GET ALL THIS GOLD BEFORE KRIS DOES.

IT'S EVERY KELLY FOR HIMSELF.

I GOT ANDY BACK NOW.

THERE'S ONE DOWN. I GOT ONE LEFT TO GO.

CAPTAIN KRIS -- YOU KNOW,

IT SOUNDS LIKE A CEREAL YOU'RE GONNA EAT.

LITTLE GOLD FLAVORED NUGGETS IN YOUR CEREAL -- CAPTAIN KRIS.

GOIN' DOWN.

GROUND FLOOR --

CHILDREN'S TOYS, SANTA CLAUS, SPORTS WEAR.

THIS RIGHT HERE IS REALLY WHERE I WANNA WORK.

LOOSE MATERIAL, EASY TO MOVE.

I THINK THIS ONE OVER HERE

IS WHERE THERE -- I'M GONNA REALLY FINDING THE GOLD.