Bering Sea Gold

Narrator: NOW, ON "BERING SEA GOLD"...

Shawn: HERE AT THE END OF THE SEASON, IT'S TIME TO ADAPT,

AND WITH THAT AND THE EXTENSION ON THE SLUICE BOX,

WE COULD CATCH ANOTHER $20,000 TO $30,000.

THERE IT IS.

HOPEFULLY, WE SEE A BUNCH OF YELLOW!

Ken: THE BETTER GOLD IS OUT IN THE DEEPER WATER

BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SHALLOWER GOLD HAS BEEN DREDGED.

WITH THE MYRTLE, SHAWN DREAMS OF THE DAY

HE CAN GO OUT WHERE WE GO.

LET'S DO IT! LET'S GO!

Kris: THE SEASON IS COMING TO AN END,

AND I'M LOOKING FOR THE HOME RUN.

I FIND THIS SPOT, ALL QUARTZ, AND WHEN YOU BREAK IT APART,

THERE'S CHUNKS OF GOLD EVERYWHERE.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED AND UNDERWATER JACKHAMMER.

THIS SUCKS!

-WE'RE IN BUSINESS. -YOU'RE RIGHT.

Ken: WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF GOLD.

-THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. -THERE WE GO, BABY.

-OH, YEAH. -THIS IS JUST GOOD AS IT GETS.

-COUNT IT OUT, BOYS. -YEAH!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: WINTER IN NOME CREEPS UP SLOWLY,

AND THEN, ALL AT ONCE, IT STRIKES.

ANY DAY NOW, THE FLEET WILL WAKE TO FIND THE BERING SEA

HAS BECOME A SOLID SHEET OF ICE,

AND WITH TEMPS DROPPING,

BUSINESS AS USUAL ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT.

THIS IS THE TIME TO ROLL THE DICE,

TO ADAPT, INNOVATE, AND OVERCOME.

EVERYONE WILL SUCCUMB TO WINTER'S ICY GRIP.

THE QUESTION IS, WHO WILL GO QUIETLY,

AND WHO WILL GO DOWN SWINGING?

80 MILES EAST OF NOME,

AT THE BLUFF...

I WANT TO GET THIS STUFF DONE, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO KILL IT.

WE'RE ADDING ONTO OUR SLUICE BOX.

WE'VE PUT IN A 4-FOOT EXTENSION.

WE'RE DOUBLING THE BOX.

Narrator: CAPTAIN SHAWN POMRENKE IS GETTING CREATIVE

IN A LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO FINISH FUNDING HIS MEGA DREDGE

AND COUNTER KEN KERR'S MYRTLE IRENE.

Shawn: WE WERE RUNNING JUST CHUNKY, NICE CHUNKY GOLD,

EASY TO CATCH.

NOW WE'RE INTO SOME FINER GOLD,

AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE GIVING IT BACK TO THE BERING SEA.

WITH EXTENDING THE SLUICE BOX ANOTHER 4 FEET,

WE'RE GOING TO END UP CATCHING A LOT MORE FINE GOLD.

WE COULD CATCH UP TO ANOTHER $20,000 TO $30,000,

AND THAT'S WELL WORTH IT.

Narrator: MR. GOLD IS STILL OVER 740 OUNCES SHORT

OF THE 1,200 OUNCES HE NEEDS TO FEED THE PROJECT'S

VORACIOUS CONSTRUCTION BUDGET,

AND BY MAKING SURE EVEN THE SMALLEST PIECES OF GOLD

DON'T SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS,

THE LOFTY GOAL IS STILL WITHIN REACH.

AS DONE AS SHE'S GOING TO GET.

Narrator: LAST WEEK...

Shawn: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS THING OUT TODAY.

Narrator: ...SHAWN TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO THE 633-TON BARGE

THAT'LL BE THE FOUNDATION

OF HIS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR MEGA DREDGE...

Shawn: KEEP GOING. IT'S WORKING.

Narrator: ...HAULING THE PLATFORM ONTO THE SHORE

TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OVER THE WINTER.

JUST MOVING IT UP TO THE NICE FLAT PAD WE GOT TO WORK ON IT.

Narrator: WITH THE BARGE READY AND WAITING FOR CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN...

Shawn: WE'RE IN BUSINESS.

Narrator: ...SHAWN WILL NEED TO PACK EVERY INCH

OF HIS SUPER-SIZED SLUICE BOX TO PAY FOR IT.

I'M GOING TO GO LOOK FOR THAT 5-, 6-OUNCE-AN-HOUR MATERIAL.

I COULD SPEND THE WHOLE DAY PROSPECTING,

OR I COULD FIND THE MOTHER LODE.

DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY.

ALL RIGHT. I GOT DECENT VIS.

IS IT LOOKING GOOD?

OH, THERE WE GO.

COME ON.

WHAT KIND OF GOLD ARE YOU SEEING DOWN THERE?

OH, YEAH. THAT SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD, MAN.

SUCK IT UP.

83 MILES WEST...

OFF THE COAST OF NOME...

Ken: OH, YEAH.

LIKE A DREAM, BUDDY.

Narrator: ...CAPTAIN KEN KERR IS BUILDING ON HIS HOT STREAK...

Ken: WHOO!

Narrator: ...PACKING THE SLUICE OF THE 600-TON MYRTLE IRENE

WITH PAY DIRT.

LOOK AT THAT, BUCKETS FRICKING 28 FEET IN THE AIR.

Narrator: THE LARGEST DREDGE IN THE FLEET GOT OFF

TO A SHAKY START,

BUT HAS FINALLY MADE A DENT IN KEN'S 2,000-OUNCE TARGET...

Ken: WHOO!

Narrator: ...COURTESY OF A HARD-CHARGING WEEK

OF ROUND-THE-CLOCK MINING.

Ken: HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE DOING NOTHING BUT DIGGING FROM NOW

ON THE REST OF THE SEASON.

I HAVEN'T DUG IN THIS SPOT YET. IT'S A FRESH DIG.

WE'RE DIGGING IN THE PAY PILE!

WHOA.

MAN, THAT'S HARD. WHOO-HOO!

THAT'S SOME VIRGIN GROUND RIGHT THERE.

ANY TIME IT DOES YOU LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW YOU'RE

IN VIRGIN GROUND.

Narrator: LAST WEEK...

Ken: CHECK IT OUT.

Narrator: ...KEN'S BERING SEA BEAST LIVES UP TO ITS NAME...

Ken: BAM!

Narrator: ...CHEWING THROUGH THE GOLD GROUNDS

EN ROUTE TO THE LARGEST CLEANUP THEY'VE SEEN THIS SEASON.

-200! -WHOO!

Ken: 211.

Narrator: AND TO KEEP UP THE PACE...

OH, YEAH.

Narrator: ...ARCTIC SEA OPERATIONS MANAGER GEORGE YOUNG...

George: COPY, MYRTLE.

...PINPOINTED A FRESH SPOT FOR THE MYRTLE.

I'VE MARKED MY SPOT.

Ken: ALL RIGHT. WELL, GOOD JOB, BUDDY.

NOBODY HAS DUG IN THIS. NOBODY HAS DREDGED HERE.

IF THEY DID, THEY JUST TOUCHED THE SURFACE.

THEY DIDN'T DIG WHERE WE'RE DIGGING.

YOU CAN'T JUST GO OUT THERE AND DIG ANYWHERE

BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SHALLOWER GOLD HAS BEEN DREDGED AND HIT,

SO THE BETTER GOLD IS OUT IN THE DEEPER WATER...

WE'RE NOT DEEP ENOUGH.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET DOWN THROUGH THIS LAYER A LITTLE BIT.

HELLO!

...AND WITH THE MYRTLE,WE CAN BE SITTING IN 30 FEET OF WATER

AND DIG THE BOTTOM.

COME ON, BABY, DIG!

COMPARED TO THE CHRISTINE ROSE, THEY DIG IN 10, 12 FEET,

SO THEY JUST DROOL OVER WHERE WE CAN DIG.

SHAWN DREAMS OF THE DAY HE CAN GO OUT WHERE WE GO.

GUARANTEE THERE'S SOME GOLD IN THAT BOX NOW.

IT'S ALREADY STARTING TO ICE UP,

SO WE'VE ONLY GOT A LITTLE WINDOW HERE.

WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD WEATHER.

WE'RE GOING TO DIG ALL NIGHT TO MAKE THIS SEASON WORK.

Emily: ARE WE WHERE WE WANT TO BE, DARYL?

Daryl: HOW'S MY DIRECTION?

WE JUST NEED A BOX FULL OF GOLD TODAY.

Kris: I'M GOING THROUGH SOME DARLING MATERIAL.

THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

Narrator: 80 MILES EAST OF NOME,

AT THE BLUFF...

IT'S COLD EVERY DAY, JUST TODAY'S A LITTLE COLDER.

IT'S, LIKE, 29 DEGREES.

Narrator: ...WITH THE MERCURY DROPPING FAST...

...CAPTAIN KRIS KELLY IS HOPING THERE'S STILL ENOUGH TIME

TO TAKE THE IRISH FROM SUBSISTENCE MINERS

TO NOME GOLD KINGPINS.

ALL I CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS CONCENTRATE,

GET AS MUCH GOLD AS I CAN.

Narrator: AFTER LOSING LEAD DIVER ANDY KELLY TO A MEDICAL ISSUE,

KRIS STILL HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON A 300-OUNCE SEASON.

WE'RE READY TO GO.

WE NEED A BOX FULL OF GOLD TODAY.

Narrator: LAST WEEK...

Kris: SO I'M GOING TO DO THIS FAST, LIGHTNING PROSPECTING.

Narrator: ...THE CAPTAIN AND DEFAULT LEAD DIVER

WAS FORCED TO ALSO TAKE ON THE JOB OF PROSPECTOR...

Kris: OH, YEAH, BABY!

Narrator: ...AND MANAGED TO PUT THE REAPERON

A NEW PAY STREAK...

Kris: I CAN HEAR THE CHA-CHING OF CASH!

18.5 OUNCES!

Narrator: ...THAT COULD MAKE HIS GOLDEN VISIONS A REALITY.

Kris: EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN ON GREAT GOLD ALL SEASON,

RIGHT NOW, I'M LOOKING FOR THE BIG ONE,

THE HOME RUN, THE 10-, 50-OUNCE POCKET.

LET'S MAKE SOME MONEY.

YOU COULD LITERALLY BE 5 FEET AWAY FROM $50,000 IN GOLD,

AND YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO KNOW ABOUT IT

UNLESS YOU GO OVER THAT EXTRA 5 FEET AND TEST THAT AREA.

SO YOU'RE ALWAYS CONSTANTLY, "IS IT THERE? IS IT HERE?

IT COULD BE THERE. IS IT A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS WAY?"

IT'S A MIND GAME BEYOND BELIEF.

HERE WE GO.

Narrator: WHILE KRIS HAS SINGLE HANDEDLY KEPT THE FAMILY ON GOLD...

Kris: HEY, DAD, IDLE UP.

OKAY.

...TODAY...

...FOLLOWING THE TRAIL HAS LEFT HIM BETWEEN A ROCK

AND A HARD PLACE.

HOW'S IT LOOKING DOWN THERE, KRIS?

IT'S SOLID QUARTZ.

LARGE DEPOSITS OF QUARTZ

ARE A SIGN OF ANCIENT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY...

NOW, SUPPOSEDLY, EVERYWHERE YOU FIND QUARTZ,

THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOLD.

...THE SAME KIND THAT FORCED GOLD TO THE SEA FLOOR

FROM DEEP BENEATH THE EARTH'S CRUST.

THERE'S STORIES WHERE THAT GOLD VEIN

SHOULD BE RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THIS QUARTZ.

AS THE THEORY GOES, WHERE THERE'S QUARTZ, THERE'S GOLD...

HOW AM I GOING TO GET IN THERE?