On a special episode of The Curse of Oak Island, Rick and Marty Lagina and members of their treasure hunting team gather together in Michigan to hear bombshell news about the seismic testing data recovered from the swamp.
But the episode also includes a very special tribute to the late Oak Island treasure hunter Dan Blankenship. Blankenship, who played a pivotal role in the documentary reality show, died March 17, 2019, at the age of 95.
Blankenship spent more than 50 years searching for treasure and uncovering mysteries on the infamous island.
The Friends of Oak Island announced the sad news on their Facebook page, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Daniel Blankenship. A true Oak Island legend, Dan was a respected and admired man. His perseverance, ingenuity and passion inspired all. Safe Journey, Dan. We will all miss you, and your legacy will be a part of us, always.”
Blankenship was working as a contractor in Florida when he read about Oak Island in a 1965 issue of Reader’s Digest magazine. He was instantly smitten with the idea of finding treasure and became a full-time Nova Scotia resident in 1970.
Although Blankenship was not seen much in Season 6, viewers were able to catch a glimpse of the formidable man offering advice as to what Rick and Marty should or shouldn’t do next.
In a video clip from tonight’s episode, Rick is clearly emotional when he says, “You can’t have Oak Island without Dan Blankenship,” and brother Marty adds with affection, “He was salty as can be!”
Dave’s son, Dave Blankenship says, “hopefully we can find something for him.”
Will this very special episode reveal that the team has indeed finally found the one thing that would bring closure to what had been Dan’s incredible, lifelong journey? Has the dream of treasure on Oak Island finally been achieved?
Be sure to tune in and find out!
The Curse of Oak Island airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c on HISTORY.