Bering Sea Gold

Man: SURVIVAL IN NOME... IS PERSEVERANCE.

THE GOLD ISN'T GONNA COME OUT AND GET YOU.

YOU'VE GOT TO GO GET IT.

Jacob: NOT GOOD.

Man: IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED,

THEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE DREDGING.

Man: IT'S ALL ABOUT FUN.

IF YOU CAN'T HAVE FUN OUT HERE, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE HERE.

YEAH!

WHOO!

Gabe: DO YOU SEE THAT GOLD? DADDY WILL BE DRIVING A CADDY!

WHOO!

IT'S DELICIOUSLY COLD.

THERE'S COLD, AND THEN THERE'S DELICIOUSLY COLD,

AND THAT'S DELICIOUSLY COLD.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: NOME, ALASKA.

ARE YOU READY? Brad: LET'S GO.

Narrator: NORTH AMERICA'S GOLD-MINING MECCA.

Kris: ANYBODY CAN GET GOLD IN NOME.

YOU GOT TO WANT GOLD, NOT JUST WANT A PAYCHECK.

Narrator: FOR 116 YEARS, GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES

HAVE SETTLED HERE TO MAKE GOLD MINING THEIR TRADE.

SOME HAVE BEEN DREAMERS, SOME HAVE BEEN DOERS, AND SOME...

ALIEN TENTACLES.

...JUST SLIGHTLY DERANGED.

Emily: YOU COME UP TO NOME, AND NOME HAS NO RULES.

YOU CAN BE WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT TO BE,

WHICH IS WHY PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO THIS PLACE.

Narrator: A TOWN THIS RICH IN GOLD TAKES ALL COMERS.

Vernon: PERSONALLY, I LIKE NOME A LOT.

IT'S RUGGED. IT'S REAL. THE PEOPLE HERE ARE SURVIVORS.

THIS PLACE IS RICH -- VERY, VERY RICH.

I FEEL FORTUNATE TO BE HERE AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.

Narrator: IN NOME HARBOR.

Shawn: THIS IS EMILY.

SHE WANTS TO SEE WHAT DAD DOES ALL DAY.

SHE'S 12.

YEAH, RIGHT.

IT'S "TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO WORK" DAY FOR SHAWN POMRENKE,

CAPTAIN OF THE CHRISTINE ROSE.

EMILY IS 15.

SAID THAT WITH LIKE A QUESTION MARK AT THE END.

I AM HORRIBLE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW OLD I AM.

39?

YOU SAID THAT WITH A QUESTION MARK.

YEAH.

'CAUSE YOU WERE LIKE 37 FOR LIKE THREE YEARS.

I NEVER GET OLD.

MR. GOLD STAYS YOUNG ALL THE TIME.

PRINCESS GOLD IS ON THE DREDGE TODAY.

TIME TO GO MAKE SOME GOLD.

10-4.

WE STARTED THE SEASON OUT WITH A $100,000 WASH PLANT ON HERE.

WE'VE FINALLY GOT IT ALL PAID OFF,

AND NOW DAD'S SPENDING MONEY AS FAST AS IT COMES IN

TO GO INLAND MINING.

Narrator: THREE DAYS AGO...

Steve: I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE CHRISTINE ROSE OVER.

I WANT TO GO INLAND MINING.

...AFTER HIS FATHER TRIED TO CUT HIM OUT OF THE BUSINESS...

I'M NOT GONNA HAVE ANY PART OF IT, OR...?

YEAH.

WHAT, I DON'T WORK HARD ENOUGH?

...SHAWN FINALLY GOT STEVE TO AGREE

TO KEEP THE NEW INLAND-MINING VENTURE...

181 OUNCES.

WE'LL JUST KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY.

...AMONGST THE POMRENKES.

Shawn: DAD AND I ARE BOTH STUBBORN.

A LOT OF TIMES, WE BUTT HEADS,

BUT I THINK HE'S FINALLY STARTING TO REALIZE

THAT HE DOES NEED ME A LOT MORE THAN HE ACTUALLY THINKS.

Narrator: SO FAR THIS SUMMER,

SHAWN HAS ALREADY BANKED 440 OUNCES,

WORTH OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS,

FOR HIS DAD TO PUT TOWARDS INLAND EQUIPMENT.

IT SEEMS LIKE THE MORE I MAKE, THE MORE HE SPENDS.

SOMEBODY'S GOT TO MAKE ALL DAD'S DREAMS COME TRUE.

MIGHT AS WELL BE ME.

GO AHEAD. FULL SPEED AHEAD.

GET THE DIAPERS AND OIL BOOM OUT.

Jacob: CLOGGING THE THING.

THAT'S WHAT DID IT.

NOT GOOD.

NOT A GOOD WAY TO START THE DAY.

Narrator: A PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD WAS SUCKED INTO THE PROPELLER,

BLOWING A HYDRAULIC LINE AND NOW LEAKING OIL INTO THE HARBOR.

Shawn: BRING THOSE BUOYS UP HERE, EM.

EMILY, GRAB THE BUOYS.

THEY SOAK UP THE OIL.

COME ON. ANSWER YOUR PHONE.

Narrator: A POTENTIAL DISASTER ON THEIR HANDS...

LET ME TALK TO GRANDPA.

...SHAWN REACHES OUT FOR HELP FROM HIS OLD MAN.

WELL, THE STICK -- WHEN WE WERE BACKING OUT,

THE STICK GOT IN THE PROP

AND BLEW A LINE IN THE BACK,

SO WE GOT OIL IN THE HARBOR.

OIL EVERYWHERE.

OKAY, I GOT TO GET GOING.

ANYTHING LIKE THIS,

IT'S QUICK RESPONSE THAT KEEPS IT CONTAINED.

THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO US BEFORE,

BUT IT JUST SUCKS THAT IT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: WHILE SHAWN RACES TO HANDLE THE LEAK,

JUST A MILE OFF THE COAST, ON CLAIM 14...

Emily: YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO.

YOU SHOULD BE READY TO SUIT UP.

Narrator: ...CAPTAIN EMILY RIEDEL

IS GIVING A ROOKIE DIVER, JONATHAN "TONS" RUPPE,

ANOTHER SHOT AT THE NOZZLE.

GONNA GO DOWN THERE TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER

THAN I DID LAST TIME.

HOPEFULLY, I'LL BE ABLE TO...REDEEM MYSELF.

Narrator: ON HIS FIRST DIVE...

...AFTER JUST 20 MINUTES ON THE BOTTOM,

TONS' PANICKED BREATHING SENDS HIM GASPING TO THE SURFACE.

Man: YOU ALL RIGHT?

I TOLD YOU NOT TO OVER-BREATHE THAT HAT.

Emily: WITH THE COMMERCIAL DIVING HAT THAT TONS IS WEARING,

TONS IS DOING KIND OF A ROOKIE MISTAKE WITH IT.

HE'S OVER-BREATHING THE BAND MASK,

AND IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH HE'S SUFFOCATING DOWN THERE.

IF YOU NEED TO COME UP HASTILY,

YOUR BEST BET MIGHT NOT BE TO HEAD DIRECTLY TO THE LADDER.

AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF IT AS BEST AS I CAN,

BUT YOU SHOULD BE FINE.

Narrator: WITH JUST 29 OUNCES, WORTH $35,000,

TOWARD HER 400-OUNCE GOAL,

EMILY NEEDS TO TRAIN UP THE GREENHORN

AND GET HIM PRODUCING GOLD.

Emily: IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, AS A BOAT OWNER,

AS A CAPTAIN, AS A LEADER, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR OPERATION

IS AT OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING AT ALL TIMES.

I'VE PUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS OPERATION.

IF I CAN'T HAVE DIVERS THAT CAN FIND AND FOLLOW THE GOLD,

IT'S USELESS.

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY!

TONS IS DOWN. WE'LL SEE HOW HE DOES THIS TIME.

IT'S ALL ABOUT WORKING THAT MASSIVE DREDGE DOWN THERE.

TONS, ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU AT THE NOZZLE?

WHAT'S UP?

HEY, TONS, JUST REMEMBER TO WATCH YOUR BREATHING.

SLOW DOWN THE BREATHING A LITTLE BIT.

WHAT'S THE AIR PRESSURE ON ME, EM?

AIR PRESSURE IS AT 80.

IF HE BREATHES TOO FAST,

HE PUTS TOO MUCH STRESS ON THE AIR SYSTEM.

THE FASTER HE BREATHES, THE MORE THE AIR PRESSURE LOWERS, SO --

AND, THEN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IF YOU CAN'T BREATHE,

YOU'LL PANIC.

OH, NO. TONS HASN'T MOVED MATERIAL YET.

TONY, GET READY TO HELP PULL HIM UP IF WE NEED TO, OKAY?

TONS IS A WILD CARD.

HE COULD TURN OUT TO BE A FANTASTIC DREDGER

OR HE COULD BE A LIABILITY. I DON'T KNOW.

Tons: WELL, I'M JUST GLAD I'M HERE.

I'M TRYING.

JUST GET SOME MOTHER GOLD.

Narrator: ONE MILE NORTHWEST, LEAVING BELMONT BEACH...

YOU KNOW, OUR PLAN WAS TO GET HIM TO GO DOWN TO TOMCOD.

WE ONLY HAVE SMALL, LITTLE WINDOWS THAT WE CAN GET OUT,

SO RATHER THAN GO DOWN 7 MILES AND RISK OUR BOAT,

WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT HERE TO THE WRECK AREA AGAIN.

Narrator: KRIS KELLY AND HIS FATHER, BRAD,

ARE TAKING THE REAPER OUT TO SEA.

Kris: GOT TO GET DOWN THERE AND MAKE SOME MONEY TODAY.

WE HAVEN'T MADE MONEY IN A COUPLE WEEKS.

Narrator: SO FAR THIS SEASON...

OKAY, SO, TAKE MY ASS HOME. I'M DONE.

ARE YOU SURE, BUDDY?

I'M DONE. YOU CAN GO YOURSELF.

...AFTER LITTLE BROTHER ANDY QUIT THE DREDGE...

Kris: WHY DO I HAVE TO BE A BITCH

AND ALWAYS HAVE TO JERK AROUND

WITH THIS STUPID, GARBAGE EQUIPMENT?

Narrator: ...KRIS HAS STRUGGLED TO MAKE IT WORK WITH HIS DAD.

Kris: 2 1/2 OUNCES.

TO DATE, THE DUO HAVE COLLECTED LESS THAN 3 OUNCES OF GOLD,

WORTH BARELY 4,000 BUCKS.

EVEN SO...

Brad: TOMORROW'S THE BIG DAY. POP A BABY OUT.

COUPLE SCOOPS COMING UP.

Narrator: ...FOR BRAD, TODAY'S TRIP CAN'T BE OVER FAST ENOUGH.

FINALLY A LITTLE KELLY GIRL.

MY GIRLFRIEND'S PREGNANT,

SO I GOT TO KEEP GOING AND CHECKING ON HER.

THIS LITTLE BABY -- THAT'S WHAT DICTATES MY PLAN NOW.

Narrator: IN JUST A FEW HOURS, BRAD'S GIRLFRIEND, COURTNEY,

IS HAVING LABOR INDUCED,

AND ANOTHER KELLY WILL BE ADDED TO THE FRAY.

HE'S 52 YEARS OLD. HE'S GOT A BABY ON THE WAY.

BY THE TIME THE KID GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL,

HE'S GONNA BE IN A WHEELCHAIR.

YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A JOKE.

HE'S JUST NOT A VERY GOOD BOSS,

NOT GOOD AT PUTTING THE COMPANY BEFORE HIS OWN PERSONAL NEEDS.

I REALLY WISH I WOULD HAVE WENT BACK TO HAWAII