Bering Sea Gold

NOW ON "BERING SEA GOLD"...

Shawn: WHEN I FIRST STARTED MINING,

IF YOU COME AND JUMPED ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S BUOY,

YOU'D GET YOUR ASS KICKED.

NOW IT'S A NORMAL THING IN NOME.

THIS IS MY SPOT FROM THIS WINTER!

Ken: WE'VE GOT THE BIGGEST AND BADDEST DREDGE

IN ALL OF NOME.

I'M GONNA SHOW THE COMPETITION,

THEY'RE NOT COMPETITION AT ALL.

WHOO-HOO!

YEAH, WE'RE DIGGING!

COUPLE THOUSAND OUNCES, THAT'S THE MINIMUM.

Kris: EVERYONE SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO THE BLUFFS.

ALL OF US ARE GONNA START BUTTING INTO EACH OTHER,

AND WE'RE GONNA START FIGHTING UNDERNEATH THE WATER,

AND IT'S GONNA BE MORE PROBLEMS.

ALL FOR THE PURSUIT OF BIG GOLD.

STARTING TO GET WHITE CAPS OUT HERE.

GET YOUR ASS UP HERE.

Emily: THEY'RE JUST OUTSIDE THE LEGAL LIMIT.

IT'S A PAIN IN MY ASS.

WELL, HERE WE GO!

OH, YEAH. PILES OF GOLD DOWN HERE.

Man: HEY, HEY, HEY!

NOW YOU'RE GONNA CLAIM IT AND I CAN'T COME OVER HERE?

TELL KRIS IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: THE SUMMER MINING SEASON IS IN HIGH GEAR.

AND SPURRED BY THE GOLD RUSH AT THE BLUFF,

THE BERING SEA HAS BECOME THE WILD WEST.

EVERY OUNCE OF GOLD SOMEONE ELSE PULLS UP

IS AN OUNCE YOU'LL NEVER SEE.

AND WHEN THE COMPETITION MUSCLES IN,

YOU HAD BETTER STAND YOUR GROUND.

IN NOME HARBOR...

Ken: TOLD THE BOYS AS SOON AS WE GET THIS THING

READY TO GO OUT, I'D SHAVE, THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME.

WELL, I HAD TO SHAVE OFF MY BEARD.

Narrator: CAPTAIN KEN KERR IS SET TO REVOLUTIONIZE

GOLD MINING IN ALASKA.

Ken: NEED TO GO GET A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE

AND CHRISTEN THAT THING BEFORE WE TAKE OFF.

THE BOYS PROBABLY GOT SOMETHING WE CAN BREAK ON THERE,

LIKE A BEER BOTTLE OR SOMETHING.

Narrator: AFTER MONTHS OF PREPARATION,

HIS 600-TON DREDGE, THE MYRTLE IRENE...

...WILL FINALLY BE UNLEASHED.

Ken: GET ON 'EM AND GET GOING, SO WE CAN GO DIGGIN'.

ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS ABOUT READY?

WE'RE READY TO ROLL!

Narrator: TWO WEEKS AGO...

WE NEED AN AIRBAG UP HERE SOMEWHERE.

LET'S GO!

Narrator: ALONG WITH BUSINESS PARTNER, DAVE YOUNG...

FLOAT, BABY, FLOAT!

Narrator: ...KEN SPLASHED HIS BERING SEA BEAST.

BIGGEST RIG IN NOME, RIGHT HERE.

AND ENLISTED DAVE'S BROTHER, GEORGE...

WELL, WE'RE GONNA HEAD ON OVER HERE,

MAYBE WE CAN FIND SOME GOLD.

Narrator: ...TO PROSPECT GROUND FOR THE MYRTLETO MINE.

YEAH!

Ken: LET ME GET IN THE BARGE.

YOU GUYS KEEP YOUR RADIOS HANDY.

Narrator: BUT BEFORE THE BEAST CAN FEAST

ON THE GOLD-RICH GROUND THAT'S BEEN FOUND...

I'M GONNA PUSH IT UP AGAINST THE DOCK WITH THE TUG,

SO YOU GUYS GET THE LINES OFF.

AND THEN WE'LL EASE IT ON OUT.

Narrator: ...NOME'S LARGEST DREDGE

JUST NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THE HARBOR.

Ken: TOSS IT ON!

MAN YOUR STATIONS!

LONG TIME COMING GETTIN' THIS THING OUT.

WELL, HERE WE GO!

PUSHIN' SIDEWAYS RIGHT NOW.

SECURITY, SECURITY.

MYRTLE IRENEBARGE DEPARTING, UH, NOME HARBOR.

WE'RE MOVIN'!

WE JUST GOTTA GET IT OUT -- NICE AND SAFE OUTTA THIS HARBOR.

NICE AND EASY.

STEADY AS SHE GOES NOW!

SECURITY, SECURITY, MYRTLE IRENE.

JUST DEPARTING OUTER HARBOR, NOME.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE LOOKIN' GOOD NOW.

MAN, THAT'S A GOOD-LOOKIN' BARGE.

Narrator: FINALLY ON THE GROUNDS...

WHOO-HOO! YEAH, WE'RE DIGGIN!

WE'RE DIGGIN'! DIGGIN, DIGGIN!

...IT'S TIME FOR THE MYRTLE TO FULFILL ITS MASSIVE PROMISE.

LET'S GET 'ER!

Narrator: THE 135-BY-40 FOOT, 600-TON MONSTER

TOWERS OVER ALL COMPETITORS.

IT BOASTS TWO 50-FOOT-LONG, 50,000-POUND SPUDS,

GIANT SPIKES THAT CAN EXTEND BELOW THE HULL,

TO ANCHOR OR ELEVATE THE BARGE.

IN ADDITION, THE EXCAVATOR DRIVES A 5-YARD BUCKET,

ALLOWING THE MYRTLE IRENE TO MINE 300 YARDS

OF PAY DIRT PER HOUR -- SIX TIMES MORE MATERIAL

THAN NOME'S NEXT LARGEST DREDGE.

Ken: WE GOTTA GET ALL OUR INVESTOR'S HAPPY

THAT OWN PART OF THIS BARGE.

Narrator: BUT ALL THAT SIZE COMES AT A PRICE.

Ken: WE HAVE A LOT OF FUNDS TIED UP.

THIS THING'S BEEN NOTHING BUT A MONEY PIT.

Narrator: THE MYRTLE IRENE MUST GENERATE $8,000 A DAY

JUST TO COVER THE COST OF CREW AND FUEL.

Ken: WE'RE BURNIN' NOTHING BUT MONEY.

I GOT A PLAN FOR THAT BARGE.

WEATHER PERMITTING, WE'RE STAYING OUT AND RUNNIN' 24/7.

DIG! DIG, BOY, DIG!

COME ON, BABY, FIND SOME GOLD!

DIG, DIG, DIG. DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG.

WE'RE GONNA DIG ALL THE GOLD IN NOME.

THAT BUCKET, PROBABLY AN EIGHTH OF AN OUNCE.

WE DO AN EIGHTH AN OUNCE PER BUCKET,

WE DO A BUCKET EVERY MINUTE AND 10 SECONDS...

WE MAKIN' GOLD!

Narrator: 80 MILES EAST...

HEADIN' BACK OUT TO THE BLUFF.

Narrator: ...MR. GOLD,

CAPTAIN SHAWN POMRENKE IS FEELING THE HEAT

FROM THE MYRTLE IRENE.

Shawn: YEAH, KEN KERR.

THINGS ARE CHANGING, TIMES ARE CHANGING.

NOW ALLS IT IS, IS A CHESS GAME,

AND UH, WHO MOVES WHERE, AND WHAT TIME AND WHEN.

Narrator: AND HE'S ITCHING TO BUILD HIS $6 MILLION

MEGA DREDGE TO SECURE

HIS FAMILY'S FUTURE ON THE BERING SEA.

I WANT TO KEEP EXPANDING AND GET BIGGER.

Narrator: HE'S ALREADY SPENT $3 MILLION ON THE DREDGE

THAT WILL DWARF EVEN KEN KERR'S BEAST WHEN BUILT.

AND HE NEEDS $1.5 MILLION MORE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.

Shawn: YEAH, I WANT TO GET THIS MEGA DREDGE DONE.

Narrator: TO GET STARTED BY THE END OF THE SEASON,

SHAWN HAS A TWO-PRONGED ATTACK.

CHRISTINE ROSEIS WHAT PAYS THE BILLS.

Narrator: FIRST, PUT THE CHRISTINE ROSE

ON A VIRGIN SWATCH OF GOLD-RICH GROUND.

AND SECOND, SET UP ON THE PAY DIRT HE DISCOVERED

LAST SUMMER AT THE BLUFF.

NOW, WITH HIS BLUFF OPERATION ON A HOT SPOT,

ALL THAT'S LEFT IS FOR MR. GOLD TO DO WHAT HE DOES BEST.

GONNA GO DO SOME DIVIN'.

GO FIND SOME NUGGETS.

OH, MY

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT.

Narrator: BUT HE'LL HAVE TO DO IT ALONGSIDE NEW...

EIGHT, UH, BLOODSUCKING PARASITES.

Narrator: ...AND NOT SO WELCOME NEIGHBORS.

ALL THESE GUYS ARE ALL DOWN HERE BENEFITING

OFF OF ALL MY HARD WORK.

I MEAN, I PUT HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS TO FIND THIS.

AND NOW THERE'S OTHER BOATS ALL AROUND ME, SO...

Narrator: PER ALASKAN MINING LAW, DREDGES MUST STAY

100 YARDS AWAY FROM OTHER OPERATIONS.

WHEN A MINER LEAVES THE WATER,

HIS SPOT IS LEGALLY OPEN TO ANYONE.

EVEN SO, IT'S CONSIDERED A BREACH OF MINER'S ETIQUETTE

TO SET UP ON SOMEONE ELSE'S SPOT.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE 90 MILES OFF THE GRID

AND BIG GOLD IS INVOLVED,

MINER'S ETIQUETTE -- AND THE LAW -- GO RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW.

Shawn: WE'LL HIT THAT BIG FLEET UP THERE.

Narrator: MEANING MR. GOLD NEEDS TO GET UNDER THE WATER

AND ON HIS PAY STREAK FAST.

Shawn: YOU PUT EIGHT DREDGES IN A LITTLE AREA

AND THEN IT DISAPPEARS REAL QUICK.

AND YOU CAN'T MOVE BECAUSE THERE'S EIGHT GUYS

THAT ARE SWARMED AROUND YOU.

WHERE'S CAM AT?

Narrator: WITH CAM STYLES TENDING,

SHAWN HEADS DOWN TO CLAIM HIS GOLD.

Shawn: PRETTY MURKY DOWN HERE.

OKAY, GO AHEAD, THROTTLE UP.

Narrator: BUT HIS SPOT HAS ALREADY BEEN PICKED OVER.

Shawn: SOME CLAIMED SOMEBODY'S MINE.

YEAH, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON

BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY GUYS OUT HERE.

LET ME --

LET ME WALK AROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE.

LOOKIN' TO SEE A BIG PILE OF YELLOW GOLD,

BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENIN' YET.

Man: YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S WRONG!

YOU DON'T DO THAT! THAT'S WRONG!

WHO?

OLD GRAY BEARD AND SOME GUY IN A HEADBAND.

PRETTY DAMN CLOSE,

BUT THEY AIN'T TRYIN' TO DIVE OR ANCHOR UP.

SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW

WHO THEY'RE WITH OBVIOUSLY.

GUARANTEE THERE'S GOLD IN THERE.

Ken: DEFINITELY WORTH MINING HERE.

WE'RE FREAKIN' DIGGIN!

Rick: TELL YOU WHAT, EMILY. THAT IS SUPER NICE!

WHOO!

Narrator: 80 MILES EAST OF NOME...