Bering Sea Gold

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

Zeke: WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME THAT MY IDEA ISN'T GOING TO WORK

AND THAT I'M STUPID FOR HAVING AN IDEA OR TRYING TO DO THINGS,

IT GIVES ME MORE FREEDOM TO JUST DO THE IDEA ANYWAY.

IF I DON'T FIND THE KIND OF GOLD THAT I'M HOPING I'D FIND,

MY SEASON'S PROBABLY OVER.

I've never had to go down an ice tunnel before.

Oh, .

Kris: WE HAVE A CHANCE TO GET MORE GOLD THAN SHAWN THIS YEAR,

AND I MEAN A REAL CHANCE.

MY DAD AND BROTHER SEE THIS NOW.

THEY SEE THIS BIG PICTURE OF MANSIONS.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO PUSH TO EVERYBODY.

WE'LL ALL GET A MANSION OUT OF THIS.

Holy cow, Jay, you should see all the gold

that I'm getting down here.

THAT IS THE BEST GOLD CLEANUP WE'VE EVER HAD IN OUR LIVES,

IN OUR LIVES!

Shawn: GOLD MINING IS A STRESSFUL JOB.

ALL THESE MINERS ARE OUT HERE.

THERE'S LESS AND LESS GOLD.

AND YOU GET A BUNCH OF GUYS THAT DON'T HAVE

ANY GOLD OR ANY MONEY,

AND THINGS JUST GO DOWNHILL FROM THERE.

I'VE RISKED EVERYTHING TO GET TO THIS POINT.

Shawn: IF YOUR AIR GOES OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE.

Who has the air?

HOLD ON!

So overwhelmed by how truly horrifying it really is.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

**

Narrator: NOME, ALASKA.

JUST DAYS INTO THE WINTER MINING SEASON,

THE PRESSURE OF THE BIGGEST GOLD RUSH

WESTERN ALASKA HAS SEEN IN DECADES

IS DRIVING THE FLEET TO EXTREME MEASURES.

IN THESE CONDITIONS, THE MINER THAT THRIVES

WILL RELY ON THE STRENGTH OF HIS CREW TO SEIZE THE DAY.

**

10 MILES EAST OF NOME

AT HASTINGS CREEK...

THIS IS STRAIGHT UP, THIS IS RIGHT, ISN'T IT?

THIS IS RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

ZEKE TENHOFF AND HIS BROTHER SAM ARE WORKING TO SECURE

A MINERAL-RIGHTS CLAIM WITH THE STATE OF ALASKA.

I BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE MULTIPLE CAREERS'

WORTH OF GOLD OUT AT HASTINGS.

Narrator: ZEKE IS TARGETING AN UNEXPLORED,

ANCIENT BEACHLINE FAR OFFSHORE AND 45 FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE,

GROUNDS HE BELIEVES WILL YIELD A FORTUNE IN GOLD

THAT HE CAN WORK FOR DECADES.

IF THERE IS AWESOME GOLD HERE

AND IT'S UNCLAIMED, THAT'S ENORMOUS.

IT'D BE ENORMOUS FOR US.

Narrator: LAST SUMMER...

YOU SEE ANYTHING IN THERE?

NO, I DEFINITELY SEE A LITTLE GOLD BUILDING UP IN HERE.

ZEKE STRUCK PROMISING SIGNS OF GOLD AT HASTINGS CREEK.

HASTINGS CREEK'S SPITTING OUT GOLD RIGHT DIRECTLY THAT WAY.

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

Narrator: HE'S DEDICATED THIS WINTER

TO STAKING CLAIM TO THE GROUND...

Place they left off on was a cobble field.

That's where we need to be.

Narrator: AN INTRICATE PROCESS...

IT'S A TINY LITTLE SPECK OF FINE GOLD.

THAT INVOLVES THOROUGHLY SURVEYING THE AREA.

I HAVE TO FIND A WAY

TO GET A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH WITH OUR HOLE.

NOW...

THIS IS THE SPOT THAT I KNOW I NEED TO BE AT

TO GET THE SAMPLES I NEED.

THE SWATH OF OCEAN FLOOR ZEKE HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON

IS COVERED IN PRESSURE RIDGES,

FORMATIONS PRODUCED WHEN SHEETS OF SEA ICE COLLIDE,

CREATING A MASSIVE JUMBLE OF ICE BLOCKS

THAT CAN BE 20 FEET THICK OR MORE,

AND THE GROUND ZEKE NEEDS TO SURVEY

IS RIGHT UNDER THE THICKEST PART.

IT MAY BE THAT LIKE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH

20 FEET OF ICE TO GET THROUGH THIS PRESSURE RIDGE,

WHICH SOUNDS INSANE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK,

UNLESS YOU PROVE ME WRONG.

INSPIRED BY DOUBT...

Zeke: JUST GOING TO GET STARTED ON CUTTING THESE PIECES

OF COPPER PIPE UP...

Narrator: THE FLEET'S MAD SCIENTIST ALREADY HAS A PLAN

TO BORE THROUGH THE 20 FEET OF ICE.

THE PRINCIPAL BEHIND A COPPER HOLE-MELTING DEVICE

IS THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A LINE

IN WHICH TO EVENLY DISTRIBUTE PRESSURIZED HOT WATER.

FAIRLY EASY TO MAKE WITH BASIC PLUMBING SKILLS.

Narrator: ZEKE'S HOLE-MELTING DEVICE?

A 2-BY-4-FOOT COPPER SHOWER HEAD

THAT HE HOPES WILL EVENLY SPRAY HOT WATER

AND MELT A 20-FOOT LONG TUNNEL THROUGH THE PRESSURE RIDGE

LARGE ENOUGH FOR HIM TO SQUEEZE THROUGH

AND COLLECT THE SAMPLES HE NEEDS TO STAKE HIS CLAIM.

**

Zeke: THE GOLD PROBE.

Sam: LOOK HERE. WE CUT YOU A LITTLE 2-BY-2 HOLE

THAT GOES 15 FEET DOWN THROUGH ICE FIRST

BEFORE YOU GET TO THE WATER.

ABSOLUTELY NO LIGHT DOWN THERE AT ALL.

Zeke: WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME THAT MY IDEA ISN'T GOING TO WORK

AND THAT I'M STUPID FOR HAVING AN IDEA OR TRYING TO DO THINGS,

IT GIVES ME MORE FREEDOM TO JUST DO THE IDEA ANYWAY.

**

**

Narrator: 70 MILES EAST...

**

AT THE BLUFF...

THAT'S A HUGE PUDDLE OF GOLD RIGHT THERE.

DO YOU SEE THAT?

YEAH, THAT'S ALL GOLD, TOO.

THAT'S SWEET.

Narrator: THE FIGHTING IRISH

ARE CLEANING THEIR FIRST GOLD OF THE SEASON.

HONESTLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE 10 OUNCES TODAY.

10 OUNCES WOULD KEEP THE BALL ROLLING.

AND AFTER SPENDING EVERY LAST DIME JUST GETTING TO THE BLUFF,

CAPTAIN KRIS IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A GOOD CLEANUP.

Kris: I'VE LOST QUITE A BIT IN LIFE

JUST BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND AND MY FAMILY'S SITUATION

AND I NEVER REALLY HAD THE RIGHT FOUNDATION.

THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS MINING THING

PAY OFF FOR ME IN SPADES.

I HAVEN'T WASTED FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE FOR NOTHING.

I'VE ACTUALLY CARVED A FUTURE OUT WITH MY OWN TWO BARE HANDS,

AND I THINK I'VE DONE REALLY WELL DOING IT.

Narrator: AT THE START OF THE SEASON...

DUDE, WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW SHAWN TO THE BLUFFS.

NEWS OF THE POMRENKE FIND AT THE BLUFF

INSPIRED KRIS WITH AN IDEA.

WE MADE IT!

HELL YEAH!

FOLLOW MR. GOLD TO THE GOLD...

YOU GUYS ARE A COUPLE COWARD

PIECES OF MOTHER

THAT GOT TO LEECH OFF OF OTHER PEOPLE.

AND CLAIM A PIECE OF THE BLUFF GOLD RUSH

FOR HOUSE KELLY.

Oh, I found a thousand flakes all in here,

all underneath this one rock.

Narrator: NOW THE YOUNG CAPTAIN IS ABOUT TO SEE

IF HIS GAMBLE IS PAYING OFF.

Kris: OKAY, HERE WE GO.

THAT'S ONE.

TWO, FOUR, FIVE.

SIX, SEVEN.

All: EIGHT. NINE.

Kris: LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S IT, 9.3.

9.3! 9.3 OUNCES.

YAY!

"A"!

Narrator: 9.3 OUNCES IS WORTH OVER $11,000.

THAT IS THE BEST GOLD CLEANUP WE'VE EVER HAD IN OUR LIVES.

IN OUR LIVES. THE RECORD HAUL

PUTS THE KELLYS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE

OF KRIS' GOAL TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE.

ONLY 824 MORE OUNCES TO GO.

Brad: CAPTAIN KRIS HAS GOT GOLD FEVER.

I MEAN, HE WAS PASSING IT AROUND TO ALL OF US.

I GOT THE FEELING THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST YEAR

FOR US OF ALL, YOU KNOW?

Andy: I BELIEVE IN MY BROTHER. I ALWAYS HAVE.

IF I DIDN'T, I WOULDN'T BE HERE WORKING WITH HIM.

IT'S A GIMME RIGHT THERE, BUT AT LEAST

HE PULLED IT OUT OF HIS ASS, SO HOPEFULLY HE JUST KEEPS

GOING THE WAY HE'S GOING NOW AND WE'LL BE FINE.

Kris: RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A CHANCE

TO GET MORE GOLD THAN SHAWN THIS YEAR,

AND I MEAN A REAL CHANCE.

WHO THE COMPETES AGAINST MILLIONAIRES?

HEY, LET'S JUST BE MEN AND DO THIS.

MY DAD AND BROTHER SEE THIS NOW.

THEY SEE THIS BIG PICTURE OF MANSIONS.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO PUSH TO EVERYBODY.

WE'LL ALL GET A MANSION OUT OF THIS.

Narrator: AFTER FIVE YEARS OF BATTLING WITH HIS FAMILY

JUST TO SCRAPE BY,

KRIS KELLY MAY BE ON THE CUSP OF GREATNESS.

ALL HE NEEDS TO DO IS KEEP THE FAMILY ON THE GOLD.

**

**

My ears just popped.

**

Okay.

**

HOW IS IT?

I'm trying to find these 10-ounce pockets

that everybody keeps talking about.

HEY, JAY, I CAN'T EVEN HEAR YOU ON THIS THING.

IT HUMS NONSTOP.

This is soft ,

so we could rip right through this.

I just wonder if it's a waste of time,