Bering Sea Gold

**

Narrator: LAST SUMMER, ON "BERING SEA GOLD"...

OUR MISSION IS TO FIND SOME GOLD.

IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND THE GROUND

TO MAKE A GOOD LIVING.

Narrator: THE QUEST FOR NEW GOLD-RICH GROUND...

Woman: OH. WHOA.

IT'S TIME TO GO FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE TO MINE.

Narrator: PUSH THE ALASKAN MINING FLEET...

THROWING ANCHOR!

FARTHER THAN EVER BEFORE...

Woman: GO FIND US LOTS OF GOLD, ZEKE!

Man: WE'RE GONNA GO OUT ON MORE DANGEROUS MISSIONS,

TO GO FIND SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN FOUND.

Narrator: STRIKING PAY DIRT IN TWO REMOTE LOCATIONS.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!

Man: OUT THERE, IN FRONT OF THAT CREEK,

THERE IS A SOURCE OF EXPLOITABLE, GOOD GOLD.

Man: OH, YEAH! HERE WE GO, BOYS, HERE WE GO!

WE'RE IN THE GOLD, BUDDY.

LET THE GOLD STREAK BEGIN.

WE MIGHT HAVE HIT THE MOTHER LODE.

**

Narrator: NOW, AS THE WINTER MINING SEASON BEGINS,

THE DISCOVERY OF THE TWO NEW HOT SPOTS

HAS SET OFF A MODERN-DAY GOLD RUSH.

Man: THERE'S A FORTUNE DOWN THERE.

AND THEY WANT TO TRY TO FOLLOW ME UP.

COME ON.

WE'RE GONNA SHOW ALL THESE BOYS WHAT GOLD MINING'S ALL ABOUT.

YEAH!

THERE'S GOLD UNDER EVERY ROCK DOWN HERE!

WHOO.

THIS IS GONNA BE MY FAMILY'S CHANCE TO BECOME MILLIONAIRES.

RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE GONNA SEE

THE BEGINNING OF THE EMPIRE OF KRIS.

THIS IS THE FARTHEST YOU'VE EVER TAKEN US OUT OF NOME.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST GOLD WE'RE GOING AFTER.

Man: I BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE

MULTIPLE CAREERS WORTH OF GOLD

IN THE LOCATION THAT I'VE DISCOVERED.

I OWE IT TO MYSELF TO DO IT RIGHT.

I'VE NEVER HAD TO GO DOWN AN ICE TUNNEL BEFORE.

GOOD GOD.

Woman: THIS IS THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE,

AND ULTIMATELY, IT'S JUST ME.

MANY PEOPLE FAIL, AND I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE THAT FAILS.

OH! 14!

**

Narrator: THIS SEASON...

I GOT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

THAT ICE IS BLOWING OUT FAST!

IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHERE THE GOLD IS...

SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?

HE'S GOT GOLD!

...BUT WHO CAN GET TO IT FIRST.

DID YOU FIND THIS?!

Woman: GOD, THAT'S GORGEOUS.

Man: LOAD THE RIFLES, BOYS.

THE OLD WEST RULES ARE IN EFFECT.

SO OVERWHELMED BY...

HOW TRULY HORRIFYING IT REALLY IS.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

Narrator: NOME, ALASKA.

FOR OVER A CENTURY, GOLD FEVER

HAS BROUGHT TREASURE HUNTERS TO THIS REMOTE PORT.

1,970 MILES FROM THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.

RISKING LIFE AND LIMB FOR A SHOT

AT THE RICHEST OFFSHORE MINING DEPOSIT IN THE WORLD.

SINCE 1898, MINERS HAVE FOUND OVER 3 1/2 MILLION

OUNCES OF GOLD.

80 MILES EAST OF NOME, THE RUSH CONTINUES.

**

Man: WHEW. MADE IT.

HERE WE ARE.

BACK AT THE BLUFF.

I CAN'T WAIT.

Narrator: MR. GOLD, SHAWN POMRENKE,

TURNS TO THE GROUNDS

HE BELIEVES WILL FORTIFY THE FAMILY EMPIRE.

I THINK, UH, WE COULD BE WALKING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS

RIGHT NOW -- THIS IS THE SPOT, THIS IS THE SPOT.

IT'S GONNA GET US -- MAKE US ALL RICH.

Narrator: LAST SUMMER...

Man: THAT'S A BIG NUGGET, THERE.

Narrator: SHAWN'S FAITH IN THE BLUFF

FINALLY PAID OFF,

WHEN HE UNCOVERED A MASSIVE PAY STREAK.

THERE IT IS. RIGHT THERE.

Narrator: AND HE STAKED A CLAIM TO SECURE THE GROUNDS

FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SHAWN POMRENKE FAMILY.

FIRST CLAIM I EVER STAKED.

AND IT'S ALL IN THE RICHEST OFFSHORE RESERVE IN THE WORLD.

Narrator: EXCEPT FOR ONE LITTLE PROBLEM.

WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE WORK, STAKING,

FILING ALL THE PAPERWORK,

SENDING OUT EVERYTHING,

AND THEY ISSUED US ALL THIS STUFF,

AND THEN AT THE END, THEY WANT TO TAKE IT BACK,

AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU ALREADY ISSUED THIS.

Narrator: THE CLAIM WAS REJECTEE,

LEAVING THE GROUNDS OPEN TO ANYONE.

PISSES A GUY OFF TO -- YOU DO ALL THAT WORK.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT -- WHAT THE DEAL IS, BUT...

I'M STILL FIGHTING IT.

EVENTUALLY SOMEBODY WILL SHOW UP DOWN THERE, BUT...

BY THEN, I'LL HAVE THE MOTHER LODE SUCKED UP AND OUT OF THERE.

Narrator: THE SETBACK CAME RIGHT ON THE HEELS

OF ANOTHER MAJOR BLOW.

WELL, THEY DIDN'T ACCEPT OUR OFFER.

THEY SOLD NOME GOLD TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO OUTBID US.

LAST SUMMER, THE POMRENKES ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE

9,000 ACRES OF INLAND MINING GROUND.

BUT THEIR BID CAME UP SHORT.

I NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MY FRIEND AND FAMILY

AND MY WORKERS.

YOU'RE THINKING YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO MINE

FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

IT WAS A PRETTY SAD DAY WHEN I FOUND OUT WE DIDN'T GET IT.

Narrator: WITH THE NOME GOLD PROPERTY LOST,

AND THE BLUFF SUDDENLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,

SHAWN ALREADY HAS TWO STRIKES THIS YEAR.

HE CAN'T AFFORD A THIRD.

MY GOAL IS TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY

TO GET THE BIG BARGE UP AND RUNNING.

IT'S POSSIBLE.

ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE IN GOLD MINING.

Narrator: TO TURN THE FAMILY BUSINESS INTO A DYNASTY,

HE'S PLANNING THE BIGGEST PROJECT

IN THE FAMILY'S HISTORY --

A 165-FOOT-LONG, 45-FOOT WIDE MEGA DREDGE,

THAT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $6 MILLION.

WE HAD $3 MILLION SET ASIDE TO PURCHASE NOME GOLD,

BUT NOW I'M OUT LOOKING FOR ANOTHER $3 MILLION

TO BUILD THE MEGA DREDGE.

AND HOPEFULLY THE BLUFF IS GONNA PAY FOR THAT.

WE'RE JUST, UH, UPGRADING OUR MESS HERE.

WE'VE GOT, UH, LITTLE BIT OF PLUMBING,

STRAIGHTEN EVERYTHING OUT.

WE PUT 20 FEET OF HOSE ON.

NOW WE CAN REACH OUT, TOUCH SOMEBODY.

Narrator: TO EXTRACT GOLD FROM THE SEA FLOOR,

MINERS ARE TETHERED TO AIR,

HOT WATER, AND COMMUNICATIONS.

USING A SUCTION HOSE, THEY VACUUM UP DIRT,

AND HOPEFULLY GOLD, INTO THEIR SLUICE BOXES.

**

I'M GONNA GO DOWN, TRY TO FIND THAT BOULDER

AND THAT BIG PILE OF NUGGETS

I KNOW THAT'S UNDER IT.

Narrator: SHAWN'S PLAN?

LOCATE A BOULDER HE FOUND AT THE END OF LAST SUMMER.

A BIG ROCK THAT SHOULD LIE ON TOP OF BIG GOLD.

**

**

Narrator: BELOW FOUR FEET OF ICE,

THE BERING SEA DROPS TO A BONE-CHILLING

27° FAHRENHEIT.

Man: HOW'S IT LOOKING DOWN THERE, BOSS?

Man: LOOKING GOOD, MAN, LOOKING GOOD.

Narrator: WITHOUT A CONSTANT HOT-WATER SUPPLY,

HYPOTHERMIA WILL SET IN WITHIN MINUTES.

Man: HOW ABOUT THAT VISIBILITY?

CAN YOU SEE HERE?

Man: YEAH. GOOD VISIBILITY.

**

I'M COMING INTO A BOULDER PATCH HERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF BIG ROCKS.

**

BIG ROCKS, BIG GOLD.

START DREDGING HERE.

SEE WHAT I FIND.

TRYING TO GET BACK ON THE TRACK TO THE MOTHER LODE, HERE.

**

Narrator: 80 MILES TO THE WEST, AT THE PORT OF NOME...

WE'RE GONNA JUST TAKE A BUNCH OF SLEDS.

WE'RE GONNA LATCH EVERYTHING TO THEM.

THE FIGHTIN' IRISH ARE READY TO BATTLE

WITH THE FROZEN BERING SEA.

AND THE NEWS OF SHAWN'S DISCOVERY AT THE BLUFF

HAS INSPIRED CAPTAIN KRIS WITH AN ORIGINAL PLAN...

WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW SHAWN TO THE BLUFFS.

FOLLOW MR. GOLD TO THE GOLD.

WE'RE GONNA BUILD EVERYTHING --

FINISHING BUILDING EVERYTHING OUT THERE.

OKAY. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.

SHAWN MESSED UP, TELLING EVERYBODY

THAT THERE WAS BIG GOLD DOWN THERE.

HE STARTED A NEW GOLD RUSH, AND I GOT TO GET DOWN THERE.

I GOT TO GO WHERE THERE'S THE BEST OPPORTUNITY IN MY LIFE

TO EVER GET RICH.

HEY, NOW THAT WE'RE AGREED ON THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING, UM,

WE NEED TO MAKE THIS WORK.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE BARELY GONNA MAKE IT THERE.

Narrator: FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS...

WITH BRAD, AMERICA'S FAVORITE DAD, AT THE HELM...

Man: WELL, I'M NOT SEEING ANY GOLD AT ALL.

Narrator: THE KELLY FAMILY WAS ON THE FAST-TRACK TO FAILURE