Laginas Focus on Shaft Six on New Oak Island Excavation Efforts and a Terrible Find
Hope remains high on Oak Island as Rick and Marty Lagina and their team continue their relentless search for answers in the 230-year-old Money Pit mystery. This week, the team intensified their efforts by targeting Shaft Six—an 1861 excavation site believed to have intersected with the fabled treasure chamber.
In a calculated move, the team began digging a new exploratory shaft, dubbed RP-2, just northeast of a previous site (RP-1) where tantalizing artifacts such as iron straps, 17th-century pipe stems, and old timber had been recovered—potential remnants of collapsed tunnels or treasure containers.
“We’re hoping to catch part of the tunnel going from Shaft Six to the Money Pit,” said surveyor Steve Guptill, as the caisson reached 105 feet, just shy of the depth where the original 19th-century treasure hunters struck stacked chests.
Excitement grew when the team unearthed adze-cut wood—a hallmark of pre-industrial construction—followed by a barrel stave, potentially tied to a documented 1861 recovery of a keg lid believed to be from the Money Pit.
“They used to put coins in barrels,” remarked metal detection expert Gary Drayton, as speculation soared over what might lie deeper within the shaft.
However, that enthusiasm was tempered when drilling pressures changed and the team began recovering “in situ” soil—undisturbed natural earth, suggesting they had reached the bottom of Shaft Six without uncovering the chests or treasure.
“I think we have to call it,” said Rick Lagina. “But for me, we proved the narrative.”
Despite the letdown, the team remains undeterred. Rick emphasized the importance of narrowing down the tunnel’s path: “We just missed it,” he admitted, while planning the next shaft in closer alignment with the believed tunnel route.
Marty Lagina concurred: “We’re not done. If RP-2 showed signs of the Money Pit, then getting just one step closer could be the breakthrough.”
With hopes still high and tools ready, the Oak Island team prepares to launch their next dig—one step nearer to the legendary treasure that continues to elude them, but not their determination.