Bering Sea Gold

Emily: THERE'S NO GREATER TEST OF SUCCESS

THAN GOLD MINING IN NOME.

WE'RE ON A ROLL FOR THE BEST YEAR EVER.

Shawn: YEAH.

IF YOU'RE STRONG, AND YOU'RE FLEXIBLE, YOU CAN MAKE IT.

BUT MOST PEOPLE AREN'T THAT STRONG.

Kris: I'M NOT SEEING ANY GOLD AT ALL.

IF YOU LEAVE, AND YOU GIVE UP ON THIS, THEN YOU'RE A FAILURE.

GET YOUR DAMN ASS OFF THIS BOAT.

YOU'RE WALKING AWAY FROM THE BOAT

AT THE PIVOTAL POINT OF THE SEASON.

ALL OF YOU PEOPLE.

YOU, AND YOU!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: LATE AUGUST IN NOME, ALASKA.

Steve P.: EVERYBODY'S GOT THIS HIGHFALUTIN IDEA

THAT YOU CAN JUST GO DIG OUT THERE ANYWHERE,

AND YOU'RE GONNA GET RICH WITHIN DAYS.

THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

BUT THESE GUYS BRINGING ALL THIS HEAVY-DUTY EQUIPMENT,

HUGE BARGES, AND THEY DON'T GET NOTHING.

JUST A BIG, LONG LEARNING CURVE, YEAH.

IT'S A HURTFUL LEARNING CURVE FOR A LOT OF THESE NEW GUYS.

Narrator: EVERY SUMMER, THE LONG GRIND

OF THE DREDGING SEASON SEPARATES WINNERS FROM LOSERS.

$10,000 IN 5 MONTHS?

YOU'RE A WHINER. LET'S JUST GO TO WORK.

Narrator: FOR THE WINNERS...

CHRISTINE ROSE DEPARTING HARBOR.

Narrator:...THE SPRINT TO THE FINISH IS ON.

WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS MUCH GOLD AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, EVER.

WE'RE JUST STACKING THE GOLD UP.

Narrator: BUT FOR THREE DREDGES...

EVERYTHING'S GOOD TO GO. WE'RE READY TO GO OUT AND MINE.

...AND TWO FAMILIES, THIS TRIP TO SEA...

GO FIND ME SOME GOLD.

...WILL BE THE ONE THAT BREAKS THEM APART.

Vernon: I'M HERE FOR SERIOUS FRIGGIN' BUSINESS.

EITHER GET THE GOLD OR GET GONE.

Narrator: ON BELMONT BEACH...

LET'S GO.

OKAY, WE'RE GOING. YEAH.

Narrator:...FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER,

BRAD KELLY AND HIS TWO SONS ARE ALL GOING DREDGING TOGETHER.

Brad: I'D LIKE TO GET AT LEAST ONE TO TWO OUNCES, AT LEAST, TODAY.

ALL THIS PISSING AROUND.

MY DAD DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE HE'S DOING,

AND IT'S APPARENT THE WAY EVERYTHING'S GOING.

AND I'M TRYING TO WORK WITH SO MANY CONDITIONS THAT ARE WRONG.

IT'S JUST -- HE MAKES EVERYTHING MISERABLE.

MISERABLE AS

Narrator: IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP,

HERE'S THE SHORT VERSION OF THE KELLY FAMILY CIRCUS.

I HOPE YOU AND MY BROTHER LIVE GREAT.

YEAH, ANY TIME.

BRAD'S YOUNGEST SON, ANDY, QUIT...

Narrator:...BRAD DROVE HIS OLDER SON KRIS NUTS...

Andy: I JUST HATE THIS TOWN.

Narrator:...ANDY CAME BACK...

DAMN, SHE'S SO SMALL.

SHE'D FIT UP A SUCTION HOSE.

Narrator:...BRAD HAD A BABY...

GET THE OUT OF HERE.

WON'T BE BACK FOR A LONG TIME.

Narrator:...AND KRIS GOT KICKED OUT OF THE HOUSE.

EVERYBODY GOT THAT? OKAY.

GET ON BOARD. I'M GONNA GET THE ANCHORS AND GET GOING HERE.

WITH MORE THAN HALF THE SEASON IN THE BOOKS

AND A MISERABLE 10 OUNCES OF GOLD TO SHOW FOR IT...

IT'S A PARTY A LOT OF THE TIME OUT HERE.

OKAY, LET'S GET GOING.

Narrator:...FOR THE FIGHTING IRISH, IT'S NOW OR NEVER.

USUALLY, WORKING WITH MY FAMILY IS PRETTY GOOD.

JUST RIGHT NOW, WITH MY DAD STARTING A NEW FAMILY,

WE'RE NOT A FAMILY ANYMORE.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS KIND OF OUT FOR THEMSELVES RIGHT NOW,

SO THEY'RE WILLING TO SABOTAGE EACH OTHER TO GET AHEAD,

OR THEY THINK THEY'RE GETTING AHEAD.

ALL WE'RE DOING IS CUTTING EACH OTHER DOWN.

AND NOW EVERYBODY IS AHEAD OF US.

Kris: OH, I JUST REALLY WANT YOU TO BE IN A GOOD MOOD,

AND US WORK GOOD TOGETHER HERE.

HEY, I'M PEACHY. DON'T I LOOK IT?

Brad: WE'RE HEADING OUT TO THE WEST REC AREA

'CAUSE I'VE GOT TO TURN THIS INTO A LIVING.

THE WAY WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW,

WE'RE WORKING IT LIKE RECREATIONAL DREDGERS.

IT'S JUST -- IT'S A JOKE.

I'VE GOT TO BE A LITTLE FIRMER GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW.

I JUST DO.

I'M SO STRESSED OUT IN THE MIND FROM THESE BASTARDS.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,

I FEEL LIKE JUST THROWING THEM OVERBOARD AND DRIVING HOME.

THAT'S NOT A GOOD WORKING SITUATION.

EVERY TIME I GO HOME AND LOOK AT THIS LITTLE BABY'S FACE,

IT DICTATES WHAT I HAVE TO DO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND WHO HAS TO BE WALKED ON.

SOME PEOPLE GOT TO BE WALKED ON, YOU KNOW.

TELL DAD I NEED TO GO 100 FEET UP AND 50 TO THE RIGHT.

100 FEET UP, 50 TO THE RIGHT.

RIGHT HERE?

I NEED TO GO UP THAT WAY MORE.

OKAY. OKAY! IT'S FINE. THROW THE ANCHOR.

FINE.

WE'RE GONNA DRIFT RIGHT BACK INTO THEM

Narrator: DESPITE KRIS' OBJECTIONS,

IT'S CAPTAIN BRAD CALLING THE SHOTS

ON JUST WHERE HIS SONS WILL DREDGE.

IF MY DAD'S BOAT, THE REAPER, WAS MINE,

I WOULD HAVE GOT OVER 100 OUNCES THIS SEASON, FOR SURE.

HE DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE NEXT TO THE HARBOR, YOU KNOW,

SO HE CAN ALMOST SWIM BACK IF THERE'S A PROBLEM.

THERE YOU GO.

IT'S GOT TO SING. HANG ON.

LET'S GO.

OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GO LOOP AROUND THE BOAT

AND WORK THE OTHER SIDE 'CAUSE THIS IS ALL CLAY.

SOMEONE'S TAILING PILE.

SOME STARFISH.

THERE'S NOT GOLD EVERYWHERE,

SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO PROSPECT.

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE IN A GOOD SPOT RIGHT NOW.

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT ON THE TOP OF THE BOAT?

WE CAN SEE YOU THROUGH THE WATER.

WE SEE YOU -- WAVE TO US.

CAN YOU SEE THE GOLD, YOU

JUST BE QUIET, PLEASE.

Narrator: WHILE KRIS GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS...

ONE MILE TO THE EAST, IN THE SMALL-BOAT HARBOR...

Daryl: ANOTHER DAY ON THE BERING SEA.

PERFECT DREDGING WEATHER.

HOPEFULLY, WE CAN GET ON A REALLY GOOD SPOT AGAIN

AND GET SOME GOLD.

Narrator: LATE IN THE MINING SEASON,

CAPTAIN EMILY RIEDEL IS IN NEED OF A COMEBACK.

Emily: MY GOAL IS 200 TO 400 OUNCES FOR THIS YEAR.

WE'RE AT ABOUT 35 OUNCES.

SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG IN MY OPERATION,

AND THE DISAPPOINTMENT IS BECOMING TOO MUCH.

Narrator: THE DISAPPOINTMENT HAS BEEN TOO MUCH FOR MORE THAN JUST EMILY.

FOUR DAYS AGO...

Emily: SO, I'VE HEARD YOU'RE QUITTING?

YEAH, I GUESS SO. LEAVING TOMORROW.

FED UP WITH THE LACK OF GOLD,

EMILY'S GREENHORN "TONS" RUPPE PACKED UP AND SKIPPED TOWN.

AND YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, DON'T YOU?

HAVE FUN IN LIFE FEELING GOOD ABOUT IT.

TODAY...

Mann: TOO MUCH TO DRINK.

Narrator: ...AFTER DROWNING HIS SORROWS, DIVER TONY MANN IS A NO-SHOW.

Narrator: DOWN WITH A CASE OF THE BROWN-BOTTLE FLU.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST CONSUMING ALCOHOL.

I ENJOY DOING IT FROM TIME TO TIME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND, ABUSING ALCOHOL,

NOT SHOWING UP FOR WORK,

NOT PUTTING YOUR BEST EFFORT FORWARD.

I MEAN, I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS, THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW?

WE'RE HERE TO MAKE MONEY, AND ANYTHING LESS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

Narrator: WITH HER 400-OUNCE GOAL SLIPPING AWAY,

A MISSED DIVE SHIFT IS A MAJOR SETBACK.

EMILY NEEDS TO RECOVER

A BARE MINIMUM OF 150 OUNCES THIS SUMMER

JUST TO KEEP HER DREDGE OUT OF THE RED.

I FORGET THAT THINGS LIKE SLEEP AND BEER

ARE REQUIRED TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.

I AGREE.

I KNOW YOU DO.

I LIKE TO THINK OF MY TEAM AS MY FAMILY IN A LOT OF WAYS.

WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER, AND WE ALL WORK TOGETHER,

AND I CARE A LOT ABOUT MY TEAM, AND I CARE A LOT ABOUT TONY,

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN...

...AND IF IT'S NOT PROFITABLE, THEN I LOSE A LOT OF MONEY.

Emily: HEY, DARYL, HOW'S THE VIS UP TOP?

COPY.

Daryl: BUT WE'LL SEE WHEN I GET TO THE BOTTOM.

OKAY, ALL RIGHT. COPY THAT.

OH, YEAH.

THIS LOOKS LIKE REALLY GOOD GROUND.

ALL RIGHT. NICE. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

COVERED IN VEGETATION --

LIKE IT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED AT ALL.

FAIR ENOUGH. IS IT ROCKY OR SANDY?

ROCKY.

WE GOT COBBLE AND VEGETATION ALL OVER THE PLACE.

DOESN'T SOUND SO BAD TO ME.

NOPE, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE GOOD.

OUR LAST CLEANUP WASN'T AS AWESOME AS WE HOPED IT WOULD BE,

AND WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO

BEFORE WE CAN HIT 100 OUNCES, MUCH LESS 400 OUNCES,

SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL STEP UP,

START PUTTING IN LONG HOURS.

HEY, DARYL, I REALLY APPRECIATE

ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING ALL THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS SHOW UP ON TIME,

AND YOU ALWAYS WORK NO MATTER WHAT --

HANGOVER OR LIFE CRISIS.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE MY LAST RELIABLE MAN STANDING, DARYL.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'M GLAD I'M BACK IN THE WATER

'CAUSE NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES,