On The Curse of Oak Island Drilling Down special this week, host Matty Blake talked to Rick and Marty Lagina and other members of the treasure-hunting team in a bid to get to the bottom of the “curse” supposedly plaguing the island.
For 223 years people have been searching for riches and artifacts on Oak Island. The Laginas and their team have unearthed several compelling clues, including traces of gold, semi-precious gems, human bones, even an ancient lead cross with potential connections to the Knights Templar.
But at the same time, several unexplained, even spooky events have taken place that seem to defy logic, many times thwarting their efforts to discover what may lie buried on the foggy 140 acre island in the North Atlantic.
David Blankenship is not sure that he believes in the curse, that seven must die before treasure can be found, mainly because no one can find out where the saying came from. What is known is that in March 1897 the first treasure hunter death occurred and rumor spread like wildfire that the island was cursed.
So far six men have died searching for the treasure, and the episode told how Dan Blankenship, Dave’s dad, nearly became the seventh. Back in the 1970s he was in the 10X shaft when it began to collapse. Dave jumped into action and rescued his dad right before the shaft buckled entirely.
Dave confirms that there are all kinds of strange things that have happened on the island, including a black mass near borehole 10X that he and his wife have seen. He describes the mass as something that has floated toward them, tangible enough that they can feel it. While Dave doesn’t believe in the paranormal or ghosts, he is at a loss to explain what the black mass could possibly be.
He recalls another time when an inexplicable fireball appeared in the ocean, coming toward the island, threatening to engulf it entirely. Dave raced over from the mainland, but just as quickly as it appeared, the inferno disappeared. Completely. “I don’t know what to think,” he says.
Is the curse a legend that has grown exponentially over time, or is it a story told to frighten others into staying away from the treasure?
Rick thinks that the curse is an amalgamation of stories that have coalesced over the years. For his part, Marty doesn’t intellectually believe in the curse, demons, or ghosts. But he has been spooked there. He remembers a time he and Rick went to 10X on a dark, clammy, spooky night. As Marty was alone next to their car he heard a, “nasty scream, a bloodcurdling scream,” that impelled him to jump inside, step on the gas, and nearly run Rick over as he fled!
Marty declares that he thinks the curse is about what it has done to people’s lives over the years. Rick takes exception to that, stating that the island, “has not ruined everyone’s life.” In fact, he notes that many young people have become interested in science and math as a result of watching the show, which is a real plus.
Then there’s the tale of deceased treasure-hunter Fred Nolan who never spent a night on the island, ever, even though the surveyor spent 50 years there searching for loot. The infamous boulder-strewn Nolan’s Cross is his legacy, and when he was on the island he believed that ravens or crows he saw there were disembodied spirits of slaves on the island.
Also in the 1970s, team member Dan Henskee came to work for Dan Blankenship. He admits that he doesn’t know if his unnerving story is real or imaginary, but describes it as “quite strange.” Henskee claims that he was possessed on the island by the spirit of a dead priest who entered his body, and that he actually felt the priest’s throat being slit.
Finally, Brian Cano, a paranormal investigator, was shown meeting up with Matty in order to use thermal infrared technology to identify any leads worth investigating. Specifically, the parapsychologist wants to capture electronic voice phenomena (EVP), recorded sounds that are assumed to be spirit voices.
He finds a couple of interesting locations, including 10X where they ask for information about the black mass while Brian uses his equipment to record any voices that may respond. Later they are shocked to hear a disembodied noise that emanates in response to one of their questions.
Then, reviewing their recordings they think they hear the creepy words “Chain them.” When Rick and Marty listen to the recording, they claim to hear the word, “Jason.” It’s decided that the recordings will be further analyzed.
Will these recordings be the one thing that finally reveals the truth behind the curse?
Tune in next week and find out!
The Curse of Oak Island airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c.