This episode of The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down serves as a recap and analysis of The Curse of Oak Island’s Season 3, Episode 12: Voices From Below.
Host Matty Blake sits down on stage with Rick and Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and Dan Blankenship. After playing footage of John Chatterton’s dive in Borehole 10-X, he asks the four men a number of related questions. The treasure hunters express their confidence in John Chatterton’s diving abilities, their regret in 10-X’s murkiness, and their cognisance of the fact that few things every go right the first time on Oak Island.
Later, we see a pre-recorded video of the drilling of C1, the hole prescribed by Oak Island historian Charles Barkhouse, in which a 21-foot-tall cavity was encountered at the 171-foot level. Once the video is finished, Rick states that he believes Charles’ prescription was based on his extensive knowledge of the history of the Oak Island treasure hunt, the recent re-discovery of the Hedden shaft in Season 3, Episodes 3 and 4, and on intuition. The four treasure hunters agree that a more rigorous analysis of wood and metal discovered in C1 is needed before they can conclude with any certainty that the void is significant.
Next, Blake sits down with Rick and Marty Lagina, Dave Blankenship, and the execute producer of The Curse of Oak Island, Kevin Burns. Burns describes how he has observed three truths regarding the Oak Island treasure hunt: 1) If something can go wrong, it will; 2) Things take longer than expected; and 3) “There will be a surprise.” He also describes how the men of Oak Island Tours Inc. are very reluctant reality TV stars, and how it is a “miracle” The Curse of Oak Island ever got off the ground in the first place. He thanks the treasure hunters for the opportunity to produce the show, and the treasure hunters praise him for doing such a good job of it. Marty adds “You know, Kevin, you got one thing wrong when you were talking there. You said ‘if it can go wrong, it will go wrong on Oak Island.’ It’s actually: ‘Even if it can’t go wrong, it will go wrong on Oak Island.’”
Following the interview with Kevin Burns, a pre-recorded video explains how geologist and Oak Island treasure hunter Robert Dunfield- notorious for his destructive, heavy-duty operation in the Money Pit in the late 1960’s- constructed the 656-foot-long causeway from Oak Island to the mainland, without which the current treasure hunt would not be possible.
Next, a video plays showing highlights of Rick Lagina’s meeting with 91-year-old Lynn Walsh, the granddaughter of former Oak Island treasure hunter Maynard Kaiser. Blake explains that Kaiser, who fell to his death in a pumping shaft in 1897, was the second man to die on Oak Island, and that his death might have given rise to the popular legend that seven men must die before the Oak Island treasure can be found. Rick briefly explains that he and the crew promised Walsh that they would look through archival records in order to try to determine where Kaiser’s body has been put to rest; the Oak Island Treasure Company, for whom Kaiser worked, did not record where Kaiser’s body was interred, or if they even recovered his body from the pit at all.
The next scene begins with a pre-recorded video in which Rick Lagina interviews veteran treasure hunter Dan Blankenship on his Oak Island experience. Before the interview, it is revealed that Dan and his son Dave, following the death of Dan’s wife Jane in 2011, made a vow to “find out what’s at the bottom of 10-X”. Dan talks to Rick about his wife Jane, about how he first became involved in the Oak Island treasure hunt, and about the history of Borehole 10-X. Rick states his desire to help Dan solve the 10-X mystery, saying “your life’s work needs to have a period at the end of it.” Dan says “I agree. Let’s make it happen,” and shakes Rick’s hand.
Back on stage, Dave Blankenship describes how his father, a veteran of World War II, was “shell shocked” in the line of duty and received no treatment for his condition. Following the war, Dan Blankenship self-medicated by “drinking and fighting” in bars. Dave, Marty, and Rick all agree that the two things that eased Dan out of his destructive lifestyle were old age and his wife Jane.
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