Bering Sea Gold

Steve: GOLD MINING -- IT'S A ROMANTIC ADVENTURE.

MR. GOLD'S GONNA GET SOME GOLD.

Steve: YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GONNA STRIKE IT RICH.

GOT TO GET THAT GOLD!

Steve: YOU WANT TO FIND GOLD AROUND NOME, ALASKA,

GO TO WHERE THE OLD TIMERS WERE 'CAUSE THERE WERE 45,000 OF THEM

HERE IN THE YEAR OF 1900.

Narrator: FOR OVER A CENTURY,

GOLD FEVER HAS BROUGHT FAMILIES TO NOME,

SEEKING FORTUNE AND FAME.

TODAY, THE FAMILIES HAVE CHANGED.

Man: WATCH OUT!

Narrator: BUT THE QUEST FOR GOLD REMAINS.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: NOME, ALASKA.

BAD WEATHER TODAY GOING, LIKE, 20 KNOTS OUT THERE.

WE GOT 4- OR 5-FOOT SEAS.

Narrator: THE FIRST STORM OF SUMMER

HAS SNUCK UP ON THE DREDGING FLEET.

SOUTH WIND BLEW US OFF.

THAT FRONT COME IN, GOT US OFF THE WATER.

IT COME IN AT, LIKE, 3:00 IN THE MORNING.

Narrator: HIGH SEAS AND 35-KNOT WINDS

ARE KEEPING FORTUNE HUNTERS OFF THE GOLD.

IT'S 3- TO 4- TO 5-FOOT ROLLERS THUMPING INTO THE BEACH.

AND IT JUST GOT THE BOTTOM ALL TURNED TO HELL AND BACK.

Narrator: AS MOST CREWS HUNKER DOWN,

TWO MILES EAST OF THE HARBOR...

Emily: HOLD ON, EROICA, WE'RE COMING.

Narrator: ...SOPHOMORE SKIPPER EMILY RIEDEL

WAS CAUGHT SLEEPING, LEAVING HER DREDGE, THE EROICA,

ANCHORED AS THE STORM BLEW IN.

IT'S GONNA BE A FUN, LITTLE PARK JOB.

Narrator: WITH OVER $200,000 INVESTED,

EMILY NEEDS TO GET IT BACK TO SHORE FAST.

COMING IN HOT.

OH

DAMN IT.

IT'S UP OUR MOTOR.

JUST GET THE ROPE OFF THAT CLEAT.

AND GET ON BOARD AND PULL IT FORWARDS.

WHEW.

DAMN, DUDE.

LET'S JUST HOP ON BOARD. HOP ON BOARD.

WE GOT TO MOVE THE NOZZLE BEFORE I FIRE IT UP.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAUL ASS

'CAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET WORSE.

FIRST, I GOT TO GET THE HOSE UP.

THAT WAS THE LINE IT WAS ON.

THAT IS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN.

THE NOZZLE LINE ATTACHED TO OUR DREDGING HOSE IS BROKEN.

THE HOSE DIDN'T BREAK OFF, DID IT?

NO, SHE'S STILL THERE.

SHE'S AIMING TOTALLY THE WRONG WAY.

Narrator: THE SWELLS HAVE SNAPPED THE LINE

SECURING THE NOZZLE OF THE SUCTION HOSE,

LEAVING IT TOSSING IN THE SEA BELOW.

IF IT IS THAT HOSE,

IT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR CATASTROPHE.

IT MIGHT BE POTENTIALLY BETTER TO LET HER WEATHER THE STORM.

SORRY, DARYL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DIVE.

HMM, OKAY.

DESPITE ROUGH CONDITIONS,

EMILY ORDERS DARYL VALLE INTO THE BERING SEA

TO SECURE THE HOSE AND RIG THE BOAT FOR TRAVEL.

STAND BY FOR COM CHECK.

COM CHECK, HOW DO YOU COPY?

I HAVE YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.

ALL RIGHT, COPY THAT.

YOU'RE TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM.

HOW YOU DOING?

THE CURRENT'S PRETTY RIPPING RIGHT NOW.

WHOA.

WELL, LET'S HOPE I CAN HANG ON TO THE HOSE.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, THE NOZZLE SEEMS TO BE BROKEN APART

WHERE THE ROPE WAS CONNECTED TO IT,

BUT I GOT IT HOOKED UP NOW.

SO WE CAN HURRY UP AND PULL IT UP.

ALL RIGHT, YOU WANT ME TO COME UP ON THE OTHER ROPE NOW?

YES. OKAY, COPY THAT.

WE JUST -- WE JUST -- WE --

WE JUST GOT THROUGH ONE MAJOR CATASTROPHE.

YOU GOT IT? BACK UP.

GET IT AROUND.

ALL RIGHT, THANKS.

BRING US HOME. WE'RE IN.

IF THIS HAD HAPPENED LAST YEAR,

I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD, LIKE, A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.

YOU'RE DOING WELL WITH HANDLING IT.

I'M PROUD OF YOU.

YOU DIDN'T EVEN GO OFF OR NOTHING.

IT WAS GOOD.

YOU GET BROKEN IN UP HERE OR YOU GET BROKEN.

WE MUST BE BROKEN IN.

I THINK SO.

BETTER BROKEN IN THAN BROKEN.

Narrator: AS THE EROICA FINALLY HEADS FOR PORT,

BACK IN TOWN...

WHO, ANDY?

Yes.

REAPER OWNER BRAD KELLY HAS RECEIVED

AN URGENT PHONE CALL FROM HIS BUSINESS PARTNER.

THREE DAYS AGO...

I KNOW THE GUY THAT OWNS THE REAPER.

HE WANTS TO BE BOUGHT OUT,

SO I TALKED TO HIM AND TOLD HIM, "EH I'LL TAKE IT ALL."

Narrator: BRAD'S SON, ANDY, ARRIVED IN TOWN

WITH A PLOT TO BUY THE DREDGE RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER HIS DAD...

Andy: HE OVER OUR FAMILY FOR A NEW FAMILY

AND LEFT MY MOTHER WITH NOTHING.

BUT FIGURE I'M GONNA LEAVE HIM WITH THE SAME -- NOTHING.

Narrator: ...A PLAN THAT HAS NOW BEEN EXPOSED

BY ANDY'S CO-CONSPIRATOR.

YEAH, YEAH, NO, I'M GOOD. I'M GLAD YOU TOLD ME THAT.

I'LL CALL YOU TONIGHT, BRO.

OKAY, BYE.

I GUESS ANDY AND MY WIFE ARE TRYING TO SCREW ME OVER,

TRYING TO TAKE MY BOAT FROM ME.

THAT'S MAMA'S BOY.

SEE, I LEFT MY WIFE THIS YEAR.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I WAS MARRIED FOR 37 YEARS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

AND I'M NOT SAYING -- I'M A CATHOLIC,

THAT I WOULD HAVE STAYED MARRIED FOR 100 YEARS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE SERVING A PRISON SENTENCE SOMETIMES.

I JUST DON'T WANT THAT LIFE ANYMORE.

Narrator: LEAVING HIS FIRST WIFE

AND EXPECTING A CHILD WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND,

BRAD'S NEW LIFE IS AT ODDS WITH THE OLD ONE.

BRAD, WHEN ARE YOU REALLY GONNA DRAW THE LINE LIKE YOU SAY?

'CAUSE THEY'RE MY KIDS,

SO I HAVE TO KEEP GIVING THEM ANOTHER CHANCE.

THEY'RE MY KIDS.

WHEN DO YOU STOP GIVING YOUR CHILDREN,

YOUR FAMILY, ANOTHER CHANCE?

WHEN DOES THAT ACTUALLY COME?

I LIKE TO SAY IT AND PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO THEM

AND THINK THAT DAD'S SICK OF IT.

THEN THAT PUTS THE WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS

AND ALL THE STRESS.

AND THEN, GUESS WHERE THE STRESS GETS RUBBED OFF ON?

THIS NEW FAMILY HERE.

WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?

WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

THEY'RE MY KIDS, SO I ALWAYS HAVE TO FORGIVE THEM.

YOU'RE CAPTAIN, OKAY?

I KNOW YOU'RE NEW TO THIS CAPTAIN AND EVERYTHING.

YOU KNOW, YOU SAY YOU'VE OWNED BUSINESSES BEFORE.

HOW DID YOU OPERATE THOSE BUSINESSES?

I DON'T USE MY FAMILY.

THAT'S HOW.

I COULD TALK THIS TO EVERYBODY ELSE,

AND I COULD MAKE THEM DO IT.

AND IT'S BETTER WHEN YOU WORK WITH STRANGERS SOMETIMES.

BUT, WITH THE KIDS,

THEY THINK THEY CAN WALK ALL OVER ME,

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

SO THEN, IT'S UP TO YOU TO CORRECT THAT.

MY KIDS' ATTITUDES, THEY'RE --

I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THEY'RE A LITTLE --

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE HEARTBROKEN OR WHAT THEY ARE.

BUT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT

THAT I CAUSE A LOT OF CHAOS IN THE FAMILY.

ANDY, HE'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET OVER IT.

YOU KNOW, HE'S STARTED A WAR

WHERE HE'S PUT HIMSELF IN PRETTY DEEP.

THESE KIDS -- SEE, A LOT OF PARENTS

HAVE UP KIDS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

THEY'RE NOT REALLY UP.

THEY COULD BE DRUG ADDICTS. THEY COULD BE A LOT OF

THEY'RE JUST MISGUIDED YOUTH, I GUESS.

I DON'T KNOW.

Narrator: SIX MILES OUTSIDE NOME....

THE OCEAN'S BEEN GREAT TO US AND EVERYTHING,

BUT I NEED TO GO INLAND MINING FOR ME.

IT'S WHAT I GREW UP ON.

IT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

Narrator: ...62-YEAR-OLD CHRISTINE ROSE CO-OWNER STEVE POMRENKE

IS SCRATCHING AN OLD ITCH.

AND NOW THAT THIS CHRISTINE ROSE

IS ALL UP AND RUNNING UP TO SNUFF,

I SHOULD BE ABLE TO STEP ASIDE, LET SHAWN TAKE THAT OVER,

AND MOVE ON TO WHAT I WANT TO DO.

AND THAT'S INLAND MINING.

ONLY 25 MINUTES LATE.

Narrator: FOR YEARS...

IF YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE 00, BE HERE AT 2:00.

OKAY. OKAY.

...STEVE HAS BEEN PUSHING HIS SON

TO STEP UP AND TAKE OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

WELL, THEN, YOU TAKE CARE ALL

OF THE I'M TAKING CARE OF.

I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TALKING

ABOUT ME TO OTHER PEOPLE.

BECAUSE WE CAN TALK ABOUT YOU

BECAUSE YOU GIVE US SO MUCH AMMUNITION.

Steve: 52.3

NOW, WITH SHAWN AND THE BARGE

CONSISTENTLY PRODUCING GOLD...

YAY.