Promising Oak Island Find Emerges in Uplands Dig, But Cave-Ins Force Team to Pull Back

In a thrilling yet perilous turn of events, the Oak Island fellowship, led by brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, along with partners Craig Tester, Jack Begley, Gary Drayton, and Billy Gerhardt, has made a groundbreaking discovery in the uplands near Smith’s Cove: evidence of what may be the infamous main flood tunnel, a booby-trap system designed over two centuries ago to thwart treasure hunters.

The team was alerted to a potential flood tunnel after seismic imaging suggested a connection to the Money Pit. Upon inspection, water was observed “squirting up like a geyser” from the bottom of a dig site, rushing in from the landward side. “This to me is very impressive,” remarked Marty Lagina, noting the water’s forceful entry.

However, excitement turned to danger as the site began to destabilize. Cracks appeared, and large sections caved in, forcing an immediate evacuation. “This is all getting kind of dangerous,” Lagina warned as the team retreated. The flood tunnel, true to its historical purpose, frustrated modern efforts by causing rapid sloughing and instability.

To assess the site safely, the team mounted a camera on the excavator arm, lowering it into the 30-foot-deep hole. Footage revealed wooden structures, beams, and what appeared to be a braced tunnel filled with rocks. “There’s all kinds of wood everywhere,” observed one team member. “It looks like a tunnel to me.”

In a war room debrief, the group analyzed the video, identifying double-layered walls and substantial boards up to 2 inches thick. Craig Tester calculated alignments with known U-shaped structures, suggesting it could predate the 1795 Money Pit discovery. Dendrochronology tests on recovered wood are pending; if dated pre-1795, it could confirm original depositor work.

Tragically, the discovery comes at an inopportune time. Irving Equipment Limited is scheduled to remove the massive steel cofferdam at Smith’s Cove within 24 hours, a weeks-long process that will halt all upland activities for the year due to permit restrictions. “We’re done,” conceded Marty Lagina, though he emphasized, “We aren’t going to give up on something like that.”

The team remains optimistic, viewing the find as “promising evidence” of the flood system. “If that data comes back old, we’re right back at this thing,” Tester added. For now, backfilling stabilizes the site, but further excavation awaits next season.

This latest chapter in the 229-year-old Oak Island mystery underscores the island’s dangers and enduring allure. As Rick Lagina put it, “We take some risks out here… It’d just be foolhardy to keep digging.”

Mysterious Underground Collapse in Money Pit Sparks Hope for Hidden Chamber

Amidst intensified drilling in the Money Pit, the Oak Island team experienced a startling phenomenon: an underground collapse near borehole EN13, suggesting proximity to a void or treasure chamber.

Focusing on a 30-by-5-foot oval dubbed the “Golden Egg” – identified by geochemist Dr. Ian Spooner as a high-metal concentration zone – the team drilled EN13 to nearly 100 feet. The drill encountered soft material transitioning to firmness, hinting at a nearby structure. “We’re in fertile territory,” noted Spooner.

The next day, while sampling water from EN13, Spooner heard booming sounds like thunder emanating from the well, lasting 30 seconds. “It was really quite extraordinary,” he reported. The noise indicated a collapse, implying a void below. Water samples showed discoloration, suggesting proximity to wood or a source of metals like copper, lead, zinc, and tin.

“This thing’s collapsing… means there has to be a void,” Spooner explained, theorizing the drill disturbed a tunnel or shaft, moving air and water. The event aligns with persistent high metal readings in the area, pointing to a potential treasure site.

The team plans to drill adjacent holes, hoping to hit the structure directly. “That next hole will be very interesting,” Rick Lagina said. With chemistry clues converging, this could be a pivotal breakthrough in locating the fabled treasure.

Viking Links Explored: Team Plans Expedition to L’Anse aux Meadows

Fresh off discovering another Roman coin on Lot 5, the Oak Island team is turning northward to investigate potential Viking connections, planning an expedition to L’Anse aux Meadows, the only confirmed Norse site in North America.

Historian Doug Crowell and archaeologist Dr. Aaron Taylor discussed Norse timelines: Vikings reached Iceland by 875 AD, Greenland by 985 AD, and Newfoundland by 1021 AD. L’Anse aux Meadows, discovered in the 1960s and located 625 miles northeast of Oak Island, represents a key Viking foothold.

The team suspects Viking descendants, possibly linked to Templars, played a role in Oak Island’s mystery. Artifacts like an arrowhead and items of possible Scandinavian origin suggest prolonged activity. “If something happened in the 1200s here, it almost has to have a component of the Vikings’ descendants,” Crowell argued.

Rick Lagina will lead the trip, bringing suspected Viking-related finds for comparison. “There’s always something to learn,” he said. Marty Lagina will oversee island operations in their absence.

This expedition could illuminate how Old World treasures reached Oak Island, tying into theories of Templar or Norse involvement. “We just found another Roman coin… My suggestion would be go to L’Anse aux Meadows and see what you can find,” Marty urged.

Opinion: Oak Island’s Perils and Promises – A Treasure Hunter’s Dilemma

Oak Island tests us at every turn – from gushing flood tunnels to echoing collapses. Our recent uplands find screams “flood system,” yet cave-ins remind us of the risks. We’re not reckless; safety first. But with dendro results pending and the Golden Egg beckoning, hope endures. Permits end our season here, but the mystery? Far from solved. To skeptics: Come dig yourself. To believers: Stay tuned.