Gold Rush: White Water

GET UP HERE, RIGHT HERE!

WATCH THE FIREWORKS FLY.

WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE PLAN BECAUSE THIS ISN'T WORKING.

IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO PULL THAT BASKET

SO IT DOESN'T GO INTO YOUR HOLE.

IS THERE GOLD THERE?

WE DON'T KNOW YET.

WELL, WHAT'S IT DOING FOR US? I MEAN --

WELL, WE'RE TAKING THE MATERIAL OUT OF IT.

HOW ABOUT YOU COMING UP WITH A BETTER SOLUTION

FOR YOUR PROBLEM WITH IT FALLING OVER IN THE HOLE?

YOU'RE MY PROBLEM, THOUGH!

DUSTIN, YOU TAKE CARE OF MY DIVERS.

I'M GONE.

IF THEY DON'T NEED ME THERE, SO BE IT.

LET THEM GET IT THE WAY THEY WANT IT.

THEY CAN DO IT WITHOUT ME.

COME ON, FRED. FIVE BUCKS, I BET HE HITS IT.

FRED AND I ARE GONNA FIGHT TO THE DEATH.

RIGHT NOW, CHANGES.

WE'RE DIGGING ONE HOLE.

WOW!

WE'RE AGAINST THE CLOCK, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE DEADLINE IS.

WATCH OUT, FRED.

THEY'RE BRINGING A REAL HEAVY LOAD OUT.

-AH! -WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

I'M NERVOUS.

I'M NOT SEEING ENOUGH GOLD RIGHT NOW.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

QUITE A TREK JUST TO GET HERE.

Narrator: IN THE RAGING WHITE WATER OF McKINLEY CREEK,

ALASKA, THE DAKOTA BOYS ARE FIVE WEEKS

INTO THEIR HUNT FOR MILLIONS IN GOLD.

I'M NERVOUS.

I'M NOT SEEING ENOUGH GOLD RIGHT NOW.

I'VE GOT A LOT OF MONEY TIED UP IN THIS, AND I'VE GOT, LIKE,

I'D LIKE THERE TO BE A LOT MORE GOLD, A LOT MORE SHOWING.

Narrator: DUSTIN'S GAMBLED $75,000

ON THIS MINING SEASON...

Narrator: ...BUT SO FAR, ALL THEY'VE FOUND

IS AN OUNCE OF GOLD WORTH JUST OVER $1,000.

WE'RE AGAINST THE CLOCK, MAN.

WE HAVE TO DIG EVERY DAY,

OR ELSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THIS DONE.

I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS THING A CHECK.

I WANT TO SEE HOW MUCH IT FILLED IN OVERNIGHT.

THAT'S NOT BAD.

THAT'S ALMOST SEVEN FEET RIGHT NOW.

IT'S NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE.

WHERE'S BEDROCK?

LET'S GET CRAZY AND SAY IT'S 15 FEET.

THE POWER OF TWO DREDGES, TWO DIVERS,

I THINK WE CAN GET THAT SINK TWO OR THREE DAYS OF DIGGING, MAN.

-THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING. -YEP.

I ANTICIPATE GETTING THERE THIS WEEK.

TOGETHER, THOSE TWO DREDGES ARE GONNA DIG THIS HOLE OUT,

AND WE'RE GONNA GET DOWN TO THE GOLD, FINALLY.

IT'S JUST FINDING THAT RIGHT POCKET,

BECAUSE THAT POCKET IS DOWN THERE.

I'M NOT GIVING UP.

I KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO GO TO GET GOLD.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET TO IT.

Fred: WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR THE BIG GOLD.

PORCUPINE MINING DISTRICT, THE GOLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN

ALMOST ALWAYS RIGHT DOWN ON THE BEDROCK.

Narrator: SINCE THE ICE AGE, TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

IN GOLD HAVE FLOWED DOWN McKINLEY CREEK.

BECAUSE IT'S SEVEN TIMES HEAVIER THAN THE ROCKS,

THE GOLD SINKS TO THE LOWEST POINT ON THE BEDROCK,

WHICH IS NOW HIDDEN UNDER 15 FEET OF ROCKS AND GRAVEL.

THERE'S THIS REALLY HARD PIECE OF ROCK

RIGHT HERE THAT GOES ACROSS THIS,

AND I BELIEVE THAT FORMATION STOPPED ALL THE GOLD BEHIND IT.

IT WAS THERE LAST SEASON,

SO I NEED THEM TO GET UP AND DIG BEHIND IT.

DUSTIN WANTS US TO BE DREDGING RIGHT HERE,

SIDE BY SIDE HERE IN THE FRONT.

I HAVE A HUNCH THAT MAYBE THAT GOLD HAD COME OVER

AND GOT PUSHED DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

Narrator: DUSTIN WILL DREDGE TOWARDS THE BEDROCK UPSTREAM

BY THE BRIDGE.

FRED DECIDES TO DIG HIS HOLE FURTHER DOWNSTREAM.

GOLD WINS, WE LOSE IF WE DON'T GET DOWN TO IT.

Narrator: EXPERIENCED MINER AND NEW RECRUIT CASEY MORGAN

WILL BE FRED'S DIVE SUPPORT.

YOU COME DOWN HERE AND GET ME READY TO DIVE.

WHEN THEY BRING THE RADIO, WE GET IN THE WATER.

OKAY.

WE'RE GONNA CHECK EVERYTHING ELSE OUT.

-I NEED SOME TAPE. -ALL RIGHT.

BRING THE TAPE.

IT'S HELL WHEN THE DIVER HAS TO LEAD THE SUPPORT TEAM OUT THERE.

Casey: YEAH, HE'S PRETTY DEMANDING TODAY.

I MEAN, HE'S THE BOSS, SO WHATEVER.

HE THINKS HE IS. I DON'T KNOW.

IS THAT GOOD?

-OH, YEAH. -HE'S GOOD TO GO.

ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: 74-YEAR-OLD FRED TAKES HIS CHANCES

IN THE GLACIAL TORRENT.

TEXAN PAUL RICHARDSON IS DIVING WITH DUSTIN'S DREDGE TODAY.

Paul: I LEFT A WHOLE BUNCH OF ROCKS

RIGHT AT THE TOP EDGE ON THE BRIDGE.

I'M GONNA TRY TO GET A GOOD, LONG DIVE IN

BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY NEED IT.

ALL RIGHT, AMIGO. ROCK AND ROLL.

YEAH, BABY.

Paul:

Narrator: THE DREDGE REMOVES ALL THE GRAVEL AND SMALL ROCKS,

BUT ANYTHING OVER SIX INCHES...

...HAS TO BE HAULED OUT BY SLED.

CLOSING IN, FOUR FEET, THREE FEET, TWO FEET.

-WHOO! THAT'S COLD! -YEAH, BROTHER.

ABRACADABRA, AMIGO.

Narrator: WES' WINCH IS RATED TO PULL 6,000 POUNDS.

ALL RIGHT, FRED.

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS SLED TO COME OUT?

JUST GOTTEN STARTED.

HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE WATER THAT LONG,

BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD.

HUGE ROCKS.

ALL RIGHT.

I GOT IT! BIG HOLE RIGHT HERE.

AH, YOU SON OF A...

THERE'S NO REASON FOR THAT HOLE TO BE THERE.

THERE'S NO GOLD RIGHT THERE.

I CAN'T GET IT TO MOVE.

DAMN IT!

FRED, HE NEEDS TO BE UP HERE. WE'VE ALREADY DUG THAT UP.

WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S UNDER THERE.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF FLOOD GOLD. I DON'T CARE.

ONE, TWO, THREE, PULL!

GUYS, JUST TRY TO PLAY THE GAME, HUH?

AS IF THIS AIN'T HARD ENOUGH, WE'VE GOT TO DO THIS.

Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME,

THE DAKOTA BOYS ARE DREDGING TWO SEPARATE HOLES.

IN DUSTIN'S HOLE BENEATH THE BRIDGE,

PAUL IS GETTING CLOSER TO BEDROCK GOLD,

LOADING ROCKS INTO A SLED TO WINCH THEM OUT OF THE MINE SITE.

BUT FRED'S DOWNSTREAM HOLE IS EXPANDING FURTHER AND FURTHER

INTO THE PATH OF THE SLED.

IT'S JUST CRAZY.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET THESE ROCKS OUT.

WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE,

BUT NOW WE'RE HAVING TO DO IT

THE HARDEST WAY POSSIBLE, BY HAND.

Carlos: WHAT'S THAT?

Paul: YEAH.

Dustin: I GOT IT, THANK YOU.

IT'S VERY, VERY HEAVY.

FRED, YOU THERE?

YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH OUT, FRED.

THEY'RE BRINGING A REAL HEAVY LOAD OUT ON YOUR RIGHT.

OKAY.

AH...

!

YOU UP MY RUNWAY, BUT HE WON'T STOP.

HE'S STILL DIGGING RIGHT THERE.

IS IT HELPING?

FRED IS DIGGING THIS TRENCH JUST ALONGSIDE

OF WHERE WE HAVE TO PULL OUR SLEDS,

AND IF IT HITS ANY LITTLE ROCK AT ALL,

IT JUST DUMPS INTO HIS HOLE.

IT'S DRIVING ME A LITTLE CRAZY.

I MEAN, THIS IS WHY I GET SO DAMN MAD, IT'S JUST --

I HAVE TO WORK MY ASS OFF BECAUSE HE'S STUBBORN.

IT JUST KILLS ME.

WE'RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT WE NEED TO DO,

BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT'S KILLING US.

I'VE GOT TO GET IN THERE, AND I'VE GOT TO FIGURE THIS

OUT.

THANKS, MAN.

Carlos: ALL RIGHT, DUSTIN. YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.

YEP, COMING YOUR WAY.

RICHARD IS GOING TO GUIDE IT TOWARDS YOU.

WHOOPS.

Dustin: ALL RIGHT.

-THANK YOU. -OKAY.

OKAY.

-RICH! -OKAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING?

I DON'T KNOW.

WHAT DO WE DO, PAUL?

Narrator: AN HOUR INTO HIS DIVE, DUSTIN IS STILL STRUGGLING

TO STOP HIS SLED FALLING INTO FRED'S HOLE.

-WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! -ALL STOP, STOP, STOP.

STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP.

COME UP HERE! RIGHT HERE!

WATCH THE FIREWORKS FLY.

Narrator: HIGH IN THE CHILKAT MOUNTAINS,

THE DAKOTA BOYS' SEARCH FOR MILLIONS IN GOLD

HAS GROUND TO A HALT.

OKAY, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE PLAN 'CAUSE THIS ISN'T WORKING.

Narrator: FRED HAS DEVIATED FROM DUSTIN'S PLAN

TO DREDGE BY THE BRIDGE

AND IS DIGGING A HOLE DOWNSTREAM.

WE'RE WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW.

NO, WE'RE NOT.

IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO PULL THAT BASKET

SO IT DOESN'T GO INTO YOUR HOLE. I MEAN --