Discovery is set to air a brand-new Gold Rush spin-off series starring fan favorites “Dakota Fred” Hurt and his son Dustin — Gold Rush: White Water.
The two miners bowed out of the hit series back in Season 5. They filmed a documentary and kept up with their fans via their socials. So why did Dakota Fred not come back? The candid mining vet took to Facebook and revealed that it was down to money.
Here was Fred’s explanation from his Facebook page back in 2014:
Now, confirmed to be back on Discovery, he writes:
Fred is a hard-working miner keen on the mega gold payout, and the raging waters of one of Alaska’s most mercurial waterways is where he must sluice.
Not like the core show Gold Rush, this is extreme mining.
The Dakota boys will brave freezing plunge pools in fast-moving rapids barely made accessible to people and certainly life-threatening. Suction dredges, precarious zip lines and frigid temperatures along with Alaskan wildlife lurking on the fringe are all part of this white-knuckler spin-off of Gold Rush.
Needing to make a return on Gold Rush star Todd Hoffman’s cash investment, the Dakota boys need to strike that paydirt.
Gold Rush: White Water premieres Friday, January 19, at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery. Viewers will also be able to catch the current season, along with past seasons of Gold Rush: White Water on the Discovery GO app – free with their paid TV subscription.