WEBVTT 00:00:11.766 --> 00:00:13.059 What do you think? 00:00:14.019 --> 00:00:17.355 What we're looking at is this linear object right here. 00:00:17.856 --> 00:00:20.191 The red on the, uh, yellow there. 00:00:20.817 --> 00:00:24.738 We've been searching this hillside all day, and then boom. 00:00:24.821 --> 00:00:27.449 Something we haven't seen so far, a big hit. 00:00:27.949 --> 00:00:31.036 But it's right next to one of Thom's white flags. 00:00:31.119 --> 00:00:35.373 I'm hoping there's a big tin milk jug with a lot of gold in it. 00:00:35.457 --> 00:00:37.792 But Thom wants to use the ground-penetrating radar 00:00:37.876 --> 00:00:39.794 to see if he can make out the shape. 00:00:39.878 --> 00:00:43.757 This thing is big. Two and a half feet long, eight inches wide. 00:00:44.507 --> 00:00:46.593 It's in the shape of UXO. 00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:50.638 This is why treasure-hunting is so damn hard out here on Adak. 00:00:50.722 --> 00:00:52.182 This thing could be a bomb, 00:00:52.849 --> 00:00:57.353 or it could be a huge can of gold worth a hundred million dollars. 00:00:57.979 --> 00:01:00.190 -Hey, guys, come on down. -Coming! 00:01:02.233 --> 00:01:03.610 What'd you find? 00:01:03.693 --> 00:01:06.237 Something big in the shape of a UXO. 00:01:07.447 --> 00:01:10.700 Look, if it's a bomb, and it's as big as my equipment says it is, 00:01:10.784 --> 00:01:12.494 it's extremely dangerous. 00:01:12.577 --> 00:01:14.120 If something like that explodes, 00:01:14.204 --> 00:01:17.832 anyone within three quarters of a mile can be injured by flying shrapnel. 00:01:17.916 --> 00:01:20.168 And anyone close to it will probably die. 00:01:20.251 --> 00:01:23.671 The blast pressure alone will turn you into a pink mist. 00:01:23.755 --> 00:01:26.132 I want to stop digging right now. 00:01:26.216 --> 00:01:29.094 -We're gonna shut it down for the day. -As in done done? 00:01:29.177 --> 00:01:31.096 I'm pulling everybody off the hill. 00:01:31.179 --> 00:01:34.390 We need to identify exactly what's in here before we make another move. 00:01:34.474 --> 00:01:38.478 The only way to do that is to expose this thing without disturbing it. 00:01:38.561 --> 00:01:40.438 Let's get everything in the truck, guys. 00:01:41.231 --> 00:01:44.526 -My treasure might be under there. -You knew it was just getting good. 00:01:45.693 --> 00:01:47.403 We have to take precautions. 00:01:52.826 --> 00:01:57.497 In 1892, seal poacher and pirate Gregory Dwargstof 00:01:57.580 --> 00:02:00.667 buried 150 cans filled with gold coins 00:02:00.667 --> 00:02:04.337 on the remote island of Adak, Alaska. 00:02:04.921 --> 00:02:07.465 Adak saw action during World War II. 00:02:07.549 --> 00:02:10.718 Now, it's riddled with unexploded bombs. 00:02:11.344 --> 00:02:13.680 When you dig on Adak, you may get rich… 00:02:13.763 --> 00:02:15.431 We got another hit over here. 00:02:15.515 --> 00:02:17.016 …or you might die trying. 00:02:36.286 --> 00:02:39.330 The unexploded ordnance removal effort is ongoing. 00:02:39.414 --> 00:02:41.541 Some places are off-limits entirely, 00:02:41.624 --> 00:02:44.502 but there's no place on Adak that's 100% safe. 00:02:44.586 --> 00:02:49.257 We recently removed nine 500-pound bombs from right under this very road. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:52.177 The road was washing out. We had a huge rain. 00:02:52.260 --> 00:02:56.598 I was walking past it, and I just saw this small, very small piece of metal. 00:02:56.681 --> 00:02:59.392 Sure enough, ended up being a 500-pound bomb. 00:03:00.018 --> 00:03:02.395 I've been doing UXO work for over 20 years. 00:03:02.478 --> 00:03:05.273 What I like most about this work is the attention to detail. 00:03:05.356 --> 00:03:06.733 You have to get things right. 00:03:06.816 --> 00:03:10.653 There's no second chances if you make a big mistake. 00:03:19.245 --> 00:03:20.455 Watch your step. 00:03:21.331 --> 00:03:25.043 We use this place as a muster point in the case of a natural disaster, 00:03:25.126 --> 00:03:27.879 tsunami, large earthquake that knocks out the power. 00:03:30.632 --> 00:03:34.135 The object we found with the GPR is linear shaped. 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:38.139 It's the length and size of anything from a large artillery shell, 00:03:38.223 --> 00:03:40.642 to a 90-millimeter mortar shell. 00:03:40.725 --> 00:03:44.270 Even if it's a can of gold, it's way better to be safe than sorry. 00:03:45.730 --> 00:03:49.150 Normally, we'd approach it with an armored excavator. 00:03:49.776 --> 00:03:53.321 Currently, there are no armored excavators on Adak. 00:03:53.404 --> 00:03:55.156 The mainland Navy personnel 00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:58.660 who help Thom remove and detonate UXO on the island 00:03:58.743 --> 00:04:00.703 always bring their own equipment. 00:04:00.787 --> 00:04:04.707 I was hoping that we wouldn't run into any possible unexploded bombs, 00:04:04.791 --> 00:04:06.876 but that's why Jay and Burke are here. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.378 Do we have a backhoe? 00:04:08.461 --> 00:04:09.545 There is a backhoe. 00:04:09.629 --> 00:04:11.714 There's plenty of metal I've seen here. 00:04:11.798 --> 00:04:15.426 Burke and I can get the material. We'll get something on this backhoe. 00:04:15.510 --> 00:04:16.970 Make this thing safe enough 00:04:17.053 --> 00:04:19.430 so we can figure out what is under the ground, 00:04:19.514 --> 00:04:22.267 whether it's a UXO or a can of gold. 00:04:23.017 --> 00:04:25.979 Jay and Burke were brought in for a very essential reason. 00:04:26.062 --> 00:04:28.731 They're able to fabricate, to operate heavy machinery, 00:04:28.815 --> 00:04:31.317 to kind of do whatever needs to be done. 00:04:31.401 --> 00:04:34.237 You have to basically make something bulletproof, 00:04:34.320 --> 00:04:36.572 but who's driving it? 00:04:37.198 --> 00:04:38.408 I'll drive it. 00:04:38.491 --> 00:04:40.201 -There you go. 00:04:40.285 --> 00:04:42.870 We have a volunteer, ladies and gentlemen. 00:04:43.454 --> 00:04:45.498 I've operated a lot of different machinery 00:04:45.581 --> 00:04:48.668 in several different environments and situations. 00:04:49.711 --> 00:04:52.463 This is going to be one of the hairiest things I've ever done 00:04:52.547 --> 00:04:53.881 with equipment like this. 00:04:53.965 --> 00:04:56.676 But this is my skill. This is what I do. 00:04:56.759 --> 00:04:59.262 We have a really small amount of time. 00:04:59.345 --> 00:05:02.432 So while you two are constructing an armored backhoe, 00:05:03.016 --> 00:05:06.436 we can be at least trying to open up a new search area. 00:05:07.020 --> 00:05:10.398 With only a few months until the ground on Adak freezes, 00:05:10.481 --> 00:05:12.025 the team can't sit idly by, 00:05:12.108 --> 00:05:14.444 waiting to identify the object 00:05:14.485 --> 00:05:16.195 that's buried on "The Hill" at Army 1. 00:05:16.821 --> 00:05:21.451 The hill at Army 1 may be our best option, but it's not our only option. 00:05:22.702 --> 00:05:27.206 The discovery at Army 1 wasn't the only place the gold was found. 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:31.210 There was another. 00:05:33.880 --> 00:05:37.008 In the 1970s, a national treasure hunting magazine 00:05:37.091 --> 00:05:40.386 reported that another gold find happened on Adak. 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:44.474 Navy Seabees were building 00:05:44.515 --> 00:05:46.976 a housing complex in 1959 00:05:47.060 --> 00:05:50.563 when they uncovered a second can of Dwargstof's gold. 00:05:51.356 --> 00:05:54.150 The team has dubbed this find "Navy 2." 00:05:55.026 --> 00:05:58.363 Because there have been two gold finds in two locations, 00:05:58.446 --> 00:06:01.366 the team believes that Dwargstof could have divided the treasure 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:04.035 and buried it in several large stashes. 00:06:04.786 --> 00:06:06.079 As with Army 1, 00:06:06.162 --> 00:06:10.458 the exact location of the discovery of Navy 2 is unknown, 00:06:10.541 --> 00:06:15.171 but it was within a large 120-acre area right on the coastline, 00:06:15.254 --> 00:06:17.298 a mile east of Army 1. 00:06:17.382 --> 00:06:22.887 Exploring Navy 2 is a good use of Weed and I's time 00:06:22.970 --> 00:06:26.349 because we already know that gold has been pulled from that site. 00:06:26.432 --> 00:06:30.395 If Dwargstof wanted to bury a large stash of gold at Navy 2, 00:06:30.478 --> 00:06:33.481 he's going to want to get as close as he can with his ship 00:06:33.564 --> 00:06:36.275 and to anchor right there at Kuluk Bay. 00:06:36.359 --> 00:06:39.946 Now, Dwargstof could have landed anywhere on that beach. 00:06:40.696 --> 00:06:44.826 But if we can figure out where he would have come ashore in his rowboat, 00:06:44.909 --> 00:06:48.704 it can help us narrow down the area where he might have buried the treasure. 00:06:49.205 --> 00:06:53.501 So, we need to figure out where Dwargstof might have anchored his ship. 00:06:53.584 --> 00:06:55.002 If we can find an anchor point, 00:06:55.086 --> 00:06:58.256 that's going to lead us into a natural place to go to shore. 00:06:58.339 --> 00:07:00.675 I think that's a damn good logical start. 00:07:00.758 --> 00:07:02.593 -Sounds good to me. -Yeah. 00:07:02.677 --> 00:07:04.887 Uh… I've just been looking at the weather, 00:07:04.971 --> 00:07:08.433 and in the next couple days, we've got some real weather moving in. 00:07:08.516 --> 00:07:11.978 They're calling for winds of up to 65 miles per hour. 00:07:12.061 --> 00:07:14.105 There'll be rain, there could be flying debris. 00:07:15.106 --> 00:07:19.694 The coming storm is set to make landfall on Adak in 48 hours, 00:07:19.777 --> 00:07:22.530 and is expected to last several days. 00:07:22.613 --> 00:07:26.784 The team must move quickly to complete their work before it arrives. 00:07:26.868 --> 00:07:30.830 So while Dr. M and Brian Weed investigate Kuluk Bay, 00:07:30.913 --> 00:07:36.419 Jay and Burke will attempt to convert Adak's backhoe into an armored excavator. 00:07:36.502 --> 00:07:38.629 Thom said it was up here on the right. 00:07:39.130 --> 00:07:40.089 Here we go. 00:07:41.883 --> 00:07:44.385 -So… -Oh boy! Here she is. 00:07:44.469 --> 00:07:46.179 This is what we got. 00:07:46.262 --> 00:07:49.515 A backhoe, huh, bud? 00:07:52.435 --> 00:07:54.187 Oh, man. 00:07:55.855 --> 00:07:57.482 We got a lot of glass. 00:07:57.565 --> 00:07:59.609 A lot of glass on this cab, boy. 00:07:59.692 --> 00:08:01.444 That wouldn't even stop a BB. 00:08:02.111 --> 00:08:04.489 We gotta stop whatever's going to come through here, 00:08:04.572 --> 00:08:06.782 frag, ordnance, shock, from killing you. 00:08:06.866 --> 00:08:08.493 I don't want to be killed. 00:08:08.576 --> 00:08:12.121 Military excavators are armored on all sides 00:08:12.205 --> 00:08:13.789 because they're used in situations 00:08:13.873 --> 00:08:17.877 where the operator may be surrounded by multiple explosive devices 00:08:17.960 --> 00:08:20.213 that could detonate simultaneously. 00:08:20.296 --> 00:08:23.549 Jay and Burke know that they are dealing with a single object, 00:08:23.633 --> 00:08:26.677 so they only have to armor the front side of the backhoe 00:08:26.761 --> 00:08:29.680 because if a detonation occurs while Burke's digging, 00:08:29.764 --> 00:08:32.350 the blast will come straight towards him. 00:08:32.433 --> 00:08:33.851 We got to cover all this up. 00:08:33.935 --> 00:08:37.230 This is normally would be some kind of metal right here 00:08:38.022 --> 00:08:39.774 to reinforce, not glass. 00:08:40.525 --> 00:08:44.737 You'd need 800 or 900-pound piece of armor to protect you inside this thing. 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:47.406 Well, we're a long ways from there. 00:08:47.907 --> 00:08:50.701 We're gonna have to scavenge around Adak, find something 00:08:50.785 --> 00:08:52.745 we can turn into a blast shield. 00:08:59.752 --> 00:09:01.879 Right there. 00:09:01.921 --> 00:09:03.214 I bet you we'd find something in there. 00:09:07.218 --> 00:09:09.845 The recently abandoned fish processing plant 00:09:09.929 --> 00:09:12.848 is littered with discarded industrial equipment. 00:09:13.432 --> 00:09:15.434 It's all plastic over here. 00:09:16.727 --> 00:09:19.480 -That stuff over there. That's too thin. -Yeah, too light. 00:09:20.064 --> 00:09:24.402 Out here, metal that's just left out in the elements just gets ate up. 00:09:24.485 --> 00:09:27.738 So even if we find material that's not rusted all the way through, 00:09:28.281 --> 00:09:31.242 it's got to have enough integrity to survive a bomb blast, 00:09:31.325 --> 00:09:32.910 to be able to deflect shrapnel. 00:09:32.994 --> 00:09:35.496 I don't think these tanks are thick enough. 00:09:35.580 --> 00:09:37.665 Nah, they're in rough shape. 00:09:37.748 --> 00:09:39.792 They're in rough shape, buddy. 00:09:39.875 --> 00:09:43.379 We need to find heavy-duty materials, and we need to get it done quickly. 00:09:44.922 --> 00:09:47.800 The storm is coming. It's going to be here soon. 00:09:52.263 --> 00:09:53.514 Captain Scott? 00:09:54.056 --> 00:09:55.349 Hello. 00:09:56.309 --> 00:09:59.604 Captain Scott is a local Adak outfitter, 00:09:59.687 --> 00:10:03.107 and he's very knowledgeable about the waters around Adak. 00:10:03.691 --> 00:10:06.736 We're trying to find out where Dwargstof might have put his anchor. 00:10:06.819 --> 00:10:11.449 We're looking specifically for a rocky spot out in Kuluk Bay. 00:10:11.532 --> 00:10:13.367 -Okay, let's go find it. -Okay. 00:10:13.451 --> 00:10:14.285 Let's do it. 00:10:17.163 --> 00:10:19.665 Dwargstof was a risk-taker, but he wasn't a fool. 00:10:19.749 --> 00:10:22.418 Anchors available to him in the 1890s 00:10:22.501 --> 00:10:25.796 don't hold well when the ocean has a sandy bottom. 00:10:25.880 --> 00:10:28.549 So Dwargstof would have dropped anchor on a rocky bottom. 00:10:28.633 --> 00:10:32.303 He'd want the anchor to lock in place and hold that ship 00:10:32.386 --> 00:10:34.847 so it didn't move while he was busy with the gold. 00:10:35.431 --> 00:10:37.892 Finding anchorable rocks won't be easy 00:10:37.975 --> 00:10:40.936 because Adak is part of a volcanic island chain, 00:10:41.020 --> 00:10:45.107 and the seafloor surrounding it is comprised mostly of sediments, 00:10:45.191 --> 00:10:46.901 think fine sands, 00:10:46.984 --> 00:10:50.237 and only a few flows of volcanic basalt rocks breaking through 00:10:50.321 --> 00:10:52.114 that Dwargstof could have anchored on. 00:10:53.908 --> 00:10:57.453 We're covering a huge area, approximately two square miles, 00:10:57.536 --> 00:11:00.665 and we're hoping Captain Scott can help us narrow it down. 00:11:02.124 --> 00:11:05.836 If Dr. M and Weed are unable to find any rock formations 00:11:05.920 --> 00:11:08.130 suitable to anchor a large sailing vessel, 00:11:08.631 --> 00:11:12.551 then it's unlikely Dwargstof could have transported a large stash of gold 00:11:12.635 --> 00:11:15.304 from his ship and buried it at Navy 2. 00:11:17.139 --> 00:11:20.518 Where might you have anchored your schooner? 00:11:22.019 --> 00:11:25.523 Well, you want to be in 30 to 50 foot of water. 00:11:25.606 --> 00:11:28.734 So you want to be inside of these reefs 00:11:28.818 --> 00:11:32.405 while also not risking your boat drifting into them. 00:11:32.488 --> 00:11:33.864 That would be too dangerous. 00:11:33.948 --> 00:11:35.700 Only a few areas of the bay 00:11:35.783 --> 00:11:38.536 were both deep enough for a wooden sailing vessel 00:11:38.619 --> 00:11:40.162 like Dwargstof's to anchor, 00:11:40.246 --> 00:11:42.039 and far enough from the dangerous reefs 00:11:42.081 --> 00:11:44.250 that could easily sink his ship. 00:11:44.333 --> 00:11:47.837 Even though we know it's been 130 years and a lot has changed, 00:11:47.920 --> 00:11:50.715 what hasn't changed is where that reef is right here. 00:11:51.215 --> 00:11:55.386 This area that's right in front of us might be the best place to start. 00:11:56.846 --> 00:11:57.680 I agree. 00:11:59.515 --> 00:12:03.561 This remote-operated vehicle can scan the whole bottom of Navy 2. 00:12:03.644 --> 00:12:05.980 -How long is your line? -Two hundred meters. 00:12:06.063 --> 00:12:09.066 That's gonna give us a really nice area to look. 00:12:09.150 --> 00:12:12.361 Start doing a grid pattern over the bottom and see if we can find rock. 00:12:12.445 --> 00:12:13.404 All right. 00:12:13.988 --> 00:12:15.364 Each area of the bay 00:12:15.448 --> 00:12:19.076 where we can find enough rocks on the seafloor for a ship to anchor 00:12:19.577 --> 00:12:22.329 is going to give us a corresponding landing spot 00:12:22.413 --> 00:12:24.540 where Dwargstof could have gone to shore. 00:12:25.040 --> 00:12:26.500 With this information, 00:12:26.584 --> 00:12:29.253 we'll be able to eliminate any parts of Navy 2 00:12:29.336 --> 00:12:33.048 where there wasn't a place offshore for Dwargstof to anchor his ship. 00:12:34.175 --> 00:12:35.676 Let's go straight down. 00:12:36.260 --> 00:12:38.429 Brian has really elevated the game 00:12:38.512 --> 00:12:43.434 by bringing all of these high-tech pieces of equipment to help with this search. 00:12:44.185 --> 00:12:45.311 See the bottom? 00:12:45.394 --> 00:12:47.521 Oh, my goodness, yeah. Look at that. 00:12:48.272 --> 00:12:49.482 It is sandy. 00:12:50.566 --> 00:12:54.779 I'm specifically trained to be able to look at a landscape 00:12:54.862 --> 00:12:57.823 and understand how it changed over time. 00:12:57.907 --> 00:13:01.577 Can you move a little bit down further this way? 00:13:02.453 --> 00:13:05.247 The seafloor is one of the few parts of Adak 00:13:05.331 --> 00:13:08.793 that military or environmental forces haven't altered. 00:13:09.543 --> 00:13:11.962 It's sand as far as I can see. 00:13:12.546 --> 00:13:15.007 So lots of sand, seems like a complete bust. 00:13:15.090 --> 00:13:16.842 Based on what we just saw, 00:13:16.926 --> 00:13:19.220 he wouldn't have anchored in that section at all. 00:13:19.804 --> 00:13:22.139 Well, we found what we weren't looking for. 00:13:27.311 --> 00:13:29.313 Let's snoop around and find some rock. 00:13:32.024 --> 00:13:33.734 -Sand is getting worse. 00:13:40.282 --> 00:13:42.201 We checked 75% of this area. 00:13:42.952 --> 00:13:44.078 -All sand. 00:13:45.913 --> 00:13:49.124 This is our last search area, between here and the beach. 00:13:49.208 --> 00:13:51.794 So the rocks where Dwargstof could have anchored his ship 00:13:51.877 --> 00:13:53.712 have to be somewhere here. 00:13:53.796 --> 00:13:57.591 If not, then our whole theory is a bust, and we'll land right back at square one. 00:13:58.717 --> 00:14:00.678 Here goes nothing. 00:14:03.514 --> 00:14:04.515 All right. 00:14:06.892 --> 00:14:09.937 I see sandy bottom currently. 00:14:10.020 --> 00:14:12.064 -Right in front of us. -Yeah. 00:14:14.316 --> 00:14:17.027 She's moving smooth. Visibility's good. 00:14:17.695 --> 00:14:19.113 We got to find this. 00:14:24.118 --> 00:14:26.287 -Wait. -A little ways off. Just a sec. 00:14:26.370 --> 00:14:27.705 Can you go back over that? 00:14:28.414 --> 00:14:29.290 Yeah. 00:14:30.457 --> 00:14:32.501 Is that…? That is not sand, right? 00:14:33.085 --> 00:14:34.336 Yeah, but go back around. 00:14:37.381 --> 00:14:38.716 Those are rocks. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:39.925 Nice. 00:14:40.801 --> 00:14:41.760 Whoo-hoo! 00:14:42.761 --> 00:14:43.846 Look at that rock. 00:14:43.929 --> 00:14:46.265 It would hold him in place like crazy. 00:14:46.891 --> 00:14:49.768 That patch of rocks has been there for centuries. 00:14:51.312 --> 00:14:54.231 That is definitely big enough where he could drop anchor. 00:14:55.274 --> 00:14:57.985 Dwargstof had been to Adak many times hunting seals. 00:14:58.068 --> 00:15:01.822 And back then, this beach would have been covered in seals. 00:15:01.906 --> 00:15:04.617 Dwargstof knew Kuluk Bay very well. 00:15:04.700 --> 00:15:06.827 I could totally see him pulling into this area 00:15:06.911 --> 00:15:08.662 and dropping anchor. 00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:11.206 -Look at that. -Beautiful. 00:15:11.290 --> 00:15:13.626 We could have been digging this whole beach, 00:15:13.709 --> 00:15:17.129 but instead, we work less, and we think a little bit harder. 00:15:17.212 --> 00:15:18.422 We've got a rock here. 00:15:18.505 --> 00:15:22.927 We brought this whole search area. We compressed it down to this narrow lane. 00:15:24.178 --> 00:15:25.596 I love science. 00:15:26.847 --> 00:15:29.308 Dr. M and Brian Weed have narrowed down 00:15:29.391 --> 00:15:31.936 their secondary target zone at Navy 2, 00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:33.187 but it's not enough. 00:15:33.270 --> 00:15:36.273 It's still too large of an area to begin searching. 00:15:37.024 --> 00:15:38.609 The smaller hill at Army 1 00:15:38.651 --> 00:15:41.236 remains their primary target zone. 00:15:41.862 --> 00:15:44.281 But before the team can resume the search, 00:15:44.365 --> 00:15:47.660 Jay and Burke must construct an armor shield for their backhoe 00:15:47.743 --> 00:15:51.246 strong enough to withstand an explosion from a UXO. 00:15:56.001 --> 00:15:58.212 This is what I'm talking about. 00:15:58.295 --> 00:16:00.422 That's like instant frame right there. 00:16:01.674 --> 00:16:02.716 That's dowel. 00:16:03.217 --> 00:16:04.927 If we could find some plate steel… 00:16:07.179 --> 00:16:09.807 Aw, check that out. Those are trawl doors, dude. 00:16:09.890 --> 00:16:11.266 What are trawl doors? 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:13.602 They use them to keep the nets open. 00:16:13.686 --> 00:16:15.938 -Those cod fishermen. -Hmm. 00:16:16.021 --> 00:16:17.982 See, you got quarter-inch here. 00:16:18.065 --> 00:16:19.316 That's some armor. 00:16:26.115 --> 00:16:29.868 Jay and I, we've been scavenging since we were kids. 00:16:30.911 --> 00:16:33.497 All right. Let's get this back to the shop. 00:16:33.998 --> 00:16:37.292 The biggest thing we ever scavenged on Adak 00:16:37.376 --> 00:16:39.545 was an old World War II Quonset Hut. 00:16:39.628 --> 00:16:42.881 We got enough materials to put this thing together 00:16:42.965 --> 00:16:44.466 and make a cabin out of it. 00:16:44.550 --> 00:16:47.678 Big hangout spot. Little party here and there. 00:16:47.761 --> 00:16:48.762 We had a few parties. 00:17:00.607 --> 00:17:02.443 You're still good, straight back. 00:17:03.193 --> 00:17:06.196 Jay and Burke first need to build out more than half a ton 00:17:06.280 --> 00:17:07.448 of steel armor, 00:17:07.531 --> 00:17:10.534 and then figure out how to mount it to the front of the backhoe. 00:17:11.201 --> 00:17:13.704 How are you going to get that on there? 00:17:13.787 --> 00:17:15.956 Well, we've got that cage, 00:17:16.040 --> 00:17:18.917 and then we'll use that quarter-inch steel for the armor. 00:17:19.001 --> 00:17:21.879 We're gonna build it in sections and stack them up. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.132 Using the forklift roll cage as a frame, 00:17:25.215 --> 00:17:29.303 we can weld our plate steel to that and create one section of armor. 00:17:29.386 --> 00:17:31.430 Then we will repeat the process, 00:17:31.513 --> 00:17:33.974 stacking and bolting the armor pieces 00:17:34.058 --> 00:17:36.310 all the way up until the whole cab is covered. 00:17:38.270 --> 00:17:39.480 On this build, 00:17:39.563 --> 00:17:42.066 we don't have a machine shop. We don't have anything. 00:17:42.149 --> 00:17:45.360 We're going to basically have to hand-carve these and hand-grind them. 00:17:56.121 --> 00:17:59.374 Let's put 'er in there. Got 'er? 00:18:00.167 --> 00:18:01.418 I'm close. 00:18:09.384 --> 00:18:10.511 There you go. 00:18:12.721 --> 00:18:13.597 All right. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:14.723 Whoo! 00:18:14.807 --> 00:18:15.641 Nice. 00:18:16.308 --> 00:18:18.519 You're the one who'll be behind this thing. 00:18:18.602 --> 00:18:20.229 Why don't you jump in, check it out? 00:18:28.821 --> 00:18:30.197 So, how's it feel? 00:18:30.781 --> 00:18:32.157 Feels dark and lonely. 00:18:32.241 --> 00:18:33.408 Are you scared? 00:18:33.909 --> 00:18:37.287 Looks pretty good. But I'm going to feel a lot better if we test it. 00:18:54.847 --> 00:18:56.890 I need to check in with Jay and Burke 00:18:56.974 --> 00:18:58.892 to see how they're doing with the backhoe. 00:18:58.976 --> 00:19:01.061 If it can't protect Burke from shrapnel, 00:19:01.145 --> 00:19:02.396 then there's no way 00:19:02.437 --> 00:19:04.356 we're excavating near a possible UXO. 00:19:04.439 --> 00:19:07.901 And we'll be shut out of Army 1 until we can find another solution. 00:19:08.861 --> 00:19:11.280 Let's see if this thing can stop some frag. 00:19:13.115 --> 00:19:14.700 Our excavator's armored up. 00:19:14.783 --> 00:19:17.870 This thing isn't pretty. It isn't going to win any beauty contests. 00:19:17.953 --> 00:19:19.705 All it has to do is protect Burke. 00:19:21.748 --> 00:19:23.917 -So what do we have? 00:19:24.001 --> 00:19:25.169 Got a little armor. 00:19:25.878 --> 00:19:26.795 Yeah. 00:19:26.879 --> 00:19:27.963 That you do. 00:19:28.589 --> 00:19:30.132 What's the plate? Like… 00:19:30.716 --> 00:19:33.093 Well, that's quarter-inch plate 00:19:33.177 --> 00:19:35.554 from off an old rusty trawl door. 00:19:35.637 --> 00:19:39.016 All right. And then you've got the boom. 00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:41.226 -That's protection there too. -Yeah. 00:19:41.310 --> 00:19:44.897 I'm impressed what they've fabricated, even if it's made with scrap metal. 00:19:45.606 --> 00:19:48.066 Right in here, that's where your vitals are. 00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:50.277 It's kind of where your chest area is, right? 00:19:51.069 --> 00:19:55.782 When most UXOs detonate, they separate into shrapnel. 00:19:56.992 --> 00:20:00.662 The boom arm of the backhoe will absorb the brunt of the blast force, 00:20:00.746 --> 00:20:03.665 but it's crucial that the blast shield protecting Burke 00:20:03.749 --> 00:20:06.752 is able to withstand the flying shrapnel. 00:20:08.629 --> 00:20:10.547 So I think we ought to do a little test. 00:20:11.423 --> 00:20:13.217 What kind of test you guys got in mind? 00:20:15.510 --> 00:20:19.306 -Oh, yeah. All right. -Jeez, I thought we were treasure hunting. 00:20:20.641 --> 00:20:22.768 -Pick a weapon. -This one's with me. 00:20:22.851 --> 00:20:25.020 Take this little honey with me. 00:20:25.103 --> 00:20:28.941 They have decided to test the armor with pistols and shotguns 00:20:29.024 --> 00:20:32.778 because bullets and buckshot are about the same size as most shrapnel. 00:20:32.861 --> 00:20:34.529 -Ready for this? -All right. 00:20:34.613 --> 00:20:35.822 Kaboom, baby! 00:20:47.376 --> 00:20:48.210 -Clear! -Clear! 00:20:50.796 --> 00:20:52.297 Let's see what that did. 00:20:54.466 --> 00:20:55.842 -Nice! -Look at that! 00:20:56.969 --> 00:20:57.928 Held up. 00:20:58.512 --> 00:21:01.556 -It did. I think it's Adak okay. -Adak okay. 00:21:04.017 --> 00:21:06.311 As darkness falls on Adak, 00:21:06.395 --> 00:21:11.024 the impending storm makes landfall 12 hours earlier than expected. 00:21:32.587 --> 00:21:34.256 Birthplace of the winds. 00:21:35.549 --> 00:21:36.842 Out here on Adak, 00:21:36.925 --> 00:21:39.094 weather reports aren't always that accurate. 00:21:39.177 --> 00:21:42.180 Monster storms can rapidly blow in a day early. 00:21:42.264 --> 00:21:45.017 I mean, the wind is intense. 00:21:50.188 --> 00:21:54.151 This is Adak weather. It blows. It's hard. It's cold. It's wet. 00:21:54.234 --> 00:21:56.653 It makes everything ten times harder. 00:21:57.446 --> 00:21:58.822 You can't let that stop you. 00:22:00.824 --> 00:22:02.701 This expedition's a ticking clock. 00:22:02.784 --> 00:22:03.827 There you go. 00:22:04.453 --> 00:22:05.704 This ground's gonna freeze, 00:22:05.787 --> 00:22:08.123 which means we won't be able to dig for gold. 00:22:08.623 --> 00:22:12.753 If we stop every time the wind blows, we're going to run out of time. 00:22:21.345 --> 00:22:24.931 I'm a little apprehensive about what's going to happen when we get to the site. 00:22:25.015 --> 00:22:28.727 There's no more time for testing. We have to go do it and get the job done. 00:22:29.311 --> 00:22:32.189 Today, we're going to know what's under this dig site. 00:22:32.689 --> 00:22:35.233 If it's treasure or a bomb. 00:22:35.984 --> 00:22:37.569 I've done everything I can 00:22:37.652 --> 00:22:40.572 to make sure that my friend doesn't get blown up in this backhoe. 00:22:40.655 --> 00:22:45.285 But ultimately, it's Burke's decision to be sitting inside of there. 00:22:45.369 --> 00:22:47.537 And Burke wants to find this treasure. 00:22:55.420 --> 00:22:56.505 All right. 00:22:58.215 --> 00:23:00.258 Weather. Adak, right? 00:23:00.342 --> 00:23:01.676 Keep your head on a swivel. 00:23:01.760 --> 00:23:04.137 Look for stuff flying off that building over there. 00:23:04.221 --> 00:23:07.182 The only people we need on the dig is me and Burke. 00:23:07.265 --> 00:23:09.434 I want everyone else outside of the blast zone, 00:23:10.018 --> 00:23:12.646 up on top of the hill over the ridge. 00:23:12.729 --> 00:23:17.484 That means the camera here, here, here. Everybody, top of the hill, please. 00:23:18.985 --> 00:23:19.861 Okay. 00:23:20.862 --> 00:23:24.533 In UXO work, there's hundreds of stories of things going wrong. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:27.661 The cost of a mistake can be somebody's life. 00:23:31.123 --> 00:23:36.169 I'm raking 1,000 pounds of iron over a potential UXO in the ground. 00:23:36.253 --> 00:23:39.297 I have to do this very delicately. 00:23:40.048 --> 00:23:43.176 The potential for something bad to happen? 00:23:43.260 --> 00:23:44.136 The risk is high. 00:23:46.012 --> 00:23:47.889 This is a great spot to find gold. 00:23:47.973 --> 00:23:51.643 But who knows what he's digging. I don't want it to be a UXO. 00:23:52.811 --> 00:23:56.398 Standing next to Jay, I can see on his face this tension. 00:23:57.149 --> 00:24:01.027 That's his best friend who's down there in immense harm's way. 00:24:02.028 --> 00:24:05.615 All right, Burke. I'm gonna guide you back. You don't have to answer me. 00:24:05.699 --> 00:24:09.119 We're just gonna go, and I'll give you kinda directions as we go. 00:24:19.296 --> 00:24:21.423 Um, crank it to your, uh… 00:24:21.506 --> 00:24:22.757 to the east a little bit. 00:24:22.841 --> 00:24:24.134 Yeah, there you go. 00:24:25.260 --> 00:24:27.429 How far down is the unknown object? 00:24:27.512 --> 00:24:28.847 About 18 inches. 00:24:29.598 --> 00:24:30.724 All right, Burke. 00:24:30.807 --> 00:24:33.643 Let's get your bucket set and then make this first pull, okay? 00:24:34.269 --> 00:24:35.437 10-4. 00:24:36.062 --> 00:24:39.608 If the backhoe were to make contact with an unstable UXO, 00:24:39.691 --> 00:24:41.401 there's a chance it could explode. 00:24:41.485 --> 00:24:42.986 I'm going behind the excavator 00:24:43.069 --> 00:24:45.530 so that the backhoe can take the brunt of the blast. 00:24:46.114 --> 00:24:48.992 Let me know when you've got that pull done. I'll check it. 00:24:54.456 --> 00:24:56.666 Hey, Burke. You're in a good spot right there. 00:24:57.584 --> 00:24:58.960 Okay, hold the bucket. 00:25:00.462 --> 00:25:03.465 After Burke clears each layer of dirt, I have to go and inspect it 00:25:03.548 --> 00:25:05.884 and reposition the backhoe for the next bucket. 00:25:07.552 --> 00:25:09.638 It is hard to watch Thom that close. 00:25:10.222 --> 00:25:13.683 The only way to get this done safely is to make sure that every time 00:25:13.767 --> 00:25:14.893 Burke moves something, 00:25:14.976 --> 00:25:17.938 somebody's going to have to look so we can see what it is. 00:25:18.730 --> 00:25:22.234 There's no way to avoid the risk that Thom is taking. 00:25:22.317 --> 00:25:24.110 Even an armored blast suit 00:25:24.194 --> 00:25:27.155 won't provide life-saving protection at this distance. 00:25:27.239 --> 00:25:31.993 So Burke cannot risk disturbing the object at all while Thom is exposed. 00:25:32.410 --> 00:25:35.872 Hey, Burke. Swing a couple more degrees towards the hill, would ya? 00:25:35.956 --> 00:25:37.499 Yeah, we can do that. 00:25:45.340 --> 00:25:48.468 You're right where I want you now. Go ahead and make another pass. 00:25:48.552 --> 00:25:49.970 Same depth, okay? 00:25:50.053 --> 00:25:51.388 10-4. Will do. 00:25:56.351 --> 00:25:59.062 -Mm. What was that? -Did you hear that? 00:26:02.232 --> 00:26:03.441 What was that? 00:26:09.990 --> 00:26:11.116 You hear it?