Gold Rush: White Water

I'M IN THE WATER TODAY.

IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, BROTHER.

ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.

I'M A DIVER MAN.

YOU CAN'T KEEP ME OUT OF THE WATER, NO.

HELL NO, THAT'S MY JOB, MAN. THAT'S WHAT I DO.

THAT'S WHO I AM. TONS OF GOLD, MAN.

THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING. YOU KNOW.

GOLD, BROTHER.

FEEL IT UP!

I GOT A FAMILY TO SUPPORT.

I GOT A FAMILY TO GO HOME TO SO,

IT MAKES ME WANNA STAY MORE ALIVE THAN USUAL.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

IT MAKES ME WANNA FIGHT FOR MY LIFE.

KEEP THAT MASK DRY, DRY, DRY MAN.

DRY, DRY, DRY.

THIS IS THE ONLY SKILL I KNOW WHAT TO DO.

DIVE AND PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY.

WE'RE TIRED OF LETTING MOTHER NATURE WIN.

IT'S TIME TO FIGHT BACK.

WHOA, FRED, STOP!

YEAH, I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

COME ON, NOW, GIVE ME A BREAK.

MIKE, KEEP IT OUT OF THE WATER.

I'D LOVE TO PULL UP A BUCKET OF GOLD.

I'D LOVE TO JUST HIT IT BIG.

ALWAYS BIG.

NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO GOLD, BABY!

-WOW. -OH, MAN.

THIS IS A GOOD SIGN.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF DAMN WATER.

OH, MAN.

WHOO, IT LOOKS HORRIBLE RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: HIGH IN ALASKA'S CHILKAT MOUNTAINS,

THE DAKOTA BOYS ARE ON THE HUNT FOR A GOLD DEPOSIT

THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES.

THIS IS A FIGHT WITH MOTHER NATURE.

SUN CAME OUT ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS

AND THIS IS ALL SNOW MELT.

JUST ABOUT AS BAD AS THIS WATER CAN GET

OUTSIDE OF BEING A FLOOD.

MOTHER NATURE'S TRYING TO GET RID OF THAT ICE.

THIS IS THE RESULT RIGHT HERE.

Narrator: GLACIAL MELT HAS SWOLLEN THE CREEK

TO A FLOW OF 1,000 TONS OF WATER A MINUTE

THAT WILL PUMMEL THEIR BODIES AS THEY DIVE.

Dustin: SO I PICKED THE WORST SPOT IN THE WORLD

TO DIG FOR GOLD.

WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT, THE WATER GOES UP.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE DIGGING OUT HERE.

Narrator: ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON,

THEY'VE FOUND JUST ONE OUNCE OF GOLD WORTH $1,200.

Dustin: I KNOW THERE'S GOLD.

JUST OUT OF REACH RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M-A GET TO IT.

Narrator: THE ALASKAN MINING SEASON IS SO SHORT,

THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT FOR THE WATER TO CALM DOWN.

Dustin: I AM IN A HURRY.

I'M $75,000 IN DEBT.

AND IF I DON'T GET DOWN THERE TO GOLD,

THE McKINLEY DREAM IS OVER.

I AM IN SUCH A POSITION TO WHERE I'M JUST

HEMORRHAGING MONEY ON THIS.

IT'S TAKEN, IN MY OPINION, FOREVER.

Narrator: PROFESSIONAL DIVER CARLOS MINOR

IS DIVING TODAY.

I'M IN THE WATER TODAY. THAT'S BAD NEWS.

Narrator: ALONGSIDE NEW GUY, RICH WEBSTER.

THERE'S SO MUCH CURRENT RIGHT NOW.

SO WE GOTTA REALLY BE ON OUR GAME TODAY.

CARLOS, WE'RE GOING TO THE FREAKING GUT OF THAT BEAST.

YEAH, BROTHER.

YOU AND I ARE GONNA BE TEARING THIS UP IN HERE.

Carlos: THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MADE OUT OF, MAN.

YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR YOURSELF,

WHY WOULDN'T IT BE WORTH IT?

THIS IS HOW I GET A PAYCHECK.

THIS IS NOT RECREATIONAL FOR ME, MAN.

I MEAN THIS IS MY JOB.

OOH, DOGGY.

WHAT COULD BE DOWN THERE, IT COULD BE LIFE CHANGING

FOR ALL OF US.

TO WHERE NONE OF US EVER HAVE TO WORK AGAIN.

YOU TWO ARE GOING DOWN IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS WATER.

IF YOU'RE NOT, I'LL DO IT FOR YOU.

-NO, NO. -AH, WHAT A CHALLENGE, MAN.

Dustin: I'M GONNA BE ON COMMS TODAY.

LET'S REALLY COMMUNICATE.

I THINK EVERYTHING'S AS SAFE AS WE CAN MAKE IT.

DON'T LET YOUR SLACK GO UNDERNEATH.

SO WHEN HE GETS UP AND WALKS BACK,

YOU HAVE TO SAY, "I'M COMING UP."

YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO BE ON POINT. GET IT?

IF YOU HEAR DIVER UP, EVERYBODY'S UP AND OUT.

WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS, MAN.

THE FLOW OF THE WATER IS ABOUT TWICE AS FAST AS NORMAL.

BAD NEWS.

WELL, GOOD LUCK GUYS.

SO EVERYBODY BE SAFE, ALL RIGHT?

YOU HAVE TO GO COWBOY IN ALASKA, MAN, YOU KNOW,

'CAUSE IT DOESN'T PLAY BY YOUR RULES.

BAD MEDICINE IF YOU GET TOO CRAZY HERE.

I'VE GOT FULL RESPECT FOR McKINLEY.

IT'S GONNA BE SOME WHITE WATER COWBOY TODAY.

Narrator: TO AVOID THE CENTER OF THE CREEK'S DEADLY CURRENT,

DUSTIN'S DIVERS WILL WORK ON THE OUTER LIMITS.

Dustin: RIGHT NOW OUR GOAL IS TO GET ALL OF THE HARD PACK

WE CAN FIND EXPOSED.

Narrator: THE CREW HAS ALREADY CLEARED 12 FEET

WORTH OF ROCKS AND GRAVEL FROM ONE AREA.

BUT NOW THEY'RE ATTACKING FROM BOTH SIDES

SO THEY CAN REACH THE COMPACTED MATERIAL

ABOVE THE BEDROCK GOLD.

I WANT YOU TO STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE

'CAUSE YOU'RE ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE HARD PACKED

ON THE LEFT SIDE.

THAT'S ALL YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH

TO GET TO THE GOLD, I THINK.

I BELIEVE THAT. I REALLY, REALLY BELIEVE THAT.

IT'S COLD TODAY.

KEEP THAT MASK DRY, DRY, DRY, MAN.

DRY, DRY, DRY.

-BE REAL CAREFUL MAN. -I WILL.

GOT A LOT OF WATER.

HE'S GONNA BE WORKING WITH SOME HEAVY, HEAVY WATER TODAY.

BUT IT'S TIME TO REALLY GET THIS CLEANED OUT.

Man: SEAL IT UP.

Dustin: ALL RIGHT.

OH, YEAH.

Carlos:

Carlos:

RIGHT DOWN HERE HE CAN HANG ONTO ROCKS

AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

LONG AS HE CAN GET UNDERNEATH THAT CURRENT

HE'LL BE ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE,

ABOUT ONE FOOT AWAY FROM THE WALL.

THAT'S WHERE I WANT YOU TO DIG, FROM THERE FORWARD.

Rich:

Dustin: ALL RIGHT.

Carlos: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.

Dustin: SUPER DANGEROUS.

BOTH DIVERS ARE DOWN AND IT'S REALLY COMING AT US.

Narrator: EXPERT DIVER CARLOS IS MOVING ROCKS ON ONE SIDE.

Rich: OKAY.

Narrator: GREENHORN RICH IS DREDGING GRAVEL ON THE OTHER.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SUCKED UP IN HERE.

GONNA BE ONE BIG ROCK HOLDING EVERYTHING.

THIS IS KICKING OUR ASS.

-RIGHT, IT LET GO. -CAN YOU REACH IT?

I CAN FEEL IT RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE.

Narrator: RICH CAN'T GET BACK TO DREDGING

UNTIL PAUL AND CASEY CLEAR THE BLOCKAGE.

THIS THING NEEDS TO BE ABOUT FIVE FOOT LONGER.

THIS OUGHT TO DO IT.

WE'RE GONNA TRY IT WITH A DRILL BIT,

A NARROW POINT AND HOPEFULLY,

THAT'LL HIT THE POINT TO BREAK THIS THING LOOSE.

SEE HOW THAT WORKS.

WELL, HERE WE GO, PAUL.

HERE IT COMES.

HOORAY! AND WE'RE IN BUSINESS.

PAUL, THANKS, MAN.

GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB, MAN.

YEAH, BUDDY!

Narrator: CARLOS FINDS A ROCK TOO BIG FOR THE SLED.

Dustin: THERE'S SO MANY ROCKS WE GOTTA GET OUT

TO GET DOWN TO THAT GOLD.

THE MORE ROCKS WE GET OUT THE EASIER IT IS TO DREDGE.

WE NEED TO GET MORE OUT. WE'RE WASTING TIME.

Narrator: PLAN B.

CALL IN THE BIG GUNS.

TIME TO TRY THE GIANT CLAW.

I THINK THAT'S CARLOS'S FAVORITE TOOL.

HE'S DOWN THERE HOOKING IT UP RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL SEE HOW WE MAKE OUT.

-HEY! -

COME ON, BABY.

LOOKS LIKE THE CLAW CAME LOOSE.

THEY'RE GONNA CHECK IT AND FIND OUT

WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THERE.

Carlos: OKAY.

Narrator: CARLOS WILL HAVE TO ENTER THE DANGER ZONE,

THE CENTER CURRENT, TO GET THE BOULDER INTO THE CLAW.

WE'RE TIRED OF LETTING MOTHER NATURE WIN.

IT'S TIME TO FIGHT BACK.

Narrator: DIVER CARLOS MINOR IS TRAPPED BENEATH HIS DREDGE.

PINNED DOWN BY OVER A QUARTER MILLION

GALLONS OF WATER POUNDING DOWN THE CREEK EVERY MINUTE.

OH, MY . WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

WHOO-HOO! YEAH, MAN, I GOT ROPED IN THAT CLAW, DUDE.

I GOT TANGLED UP IN IT.

YOU JUST STARTED ROLLING IN THAT SECTION RIGHT THERE.

YOU JUST ROLLED, YOU ROLLED, YOU ROLLED YOU.