In a season defined by deep digs and deeper mysteries, episode 24 of The Curse of Oak Island delivered perhaps the most significant find in years. Titled Into the Void, the episode followed the team’s descent into “Toot One” shaft — and what they may have uncovered could rewrite the island’s legend.
After months of setbacks, the team is now over 160 feet deep and approaching what they believe is the solution channel — a natural void in the bedrock where the original treasure vault may have collapsed. What they’re finding down there, however, might be even more extraordinary than treasure.
Primitive Tool Found at Depth Sparks Historical Shockwave
Gary Drayton and Marty Lagina unearthed a broken pickaxe head deep in the shaft, and blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge dated the tool to the late 1500s or early 1600s. Its construction — hand-wrought and used for breaking rock — points to pre-industrial mining methods.
“This isn’t a modern searcher tool,” said Legge. “This is something used centuries ago.”
If accurate, it places human activity in the Money Pit area over 150 years before the first known discovery in 1795.
Wooden Dowel Points to Original Vault Construction
Even more compelling was the discovery of a hand-shaped wooden dowel — likely used in early timber framing. Its rough-hewn appearance suggests 17th century origins or earlier, and it was found near structural wood that does not match the known Chapel Shaft built in 1931.
Marty Lagina was quick to point out the implications: “If this wood isn’t from a searcher shaft, then it may be part of the original Money Pit.”
Knights of Malta Theory Gains Ground
The long-standing theory connecting the island to the Knights of Malta — a group that succeeded the Knights Templar — gained new traction this week. Artifacts and survey data from across the island continue to point to the 1600s.
Surveyor Steve Guptill and geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner presented compelling evidence:
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The cobblestone path in the swamp dates to 1650–1700.
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The “Eye of the Swamp” anomaly: 1630–1680.
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The so-called “Swamp Vault” aligns with the same era.
The consistent dating across multiple sites adds weight to the possibility of organized activity — possibly by a religious or military order — long before the island’s modern history began.
Swamp Wall Search Falls Short But Keeps Hope Alive
Not all leads bore fruit. The team was unable to confirm the stone wall once reported by Fred Nolan in the northern swamp. Ground-penetrating radar had suggested an anomaly, but excavation revealed nothing conclusive.
Rick Lagina, however, remains undeterred:
“We’ve only touched 30% of the swamp. And look what we’ve already found.”
Final Push Before Winter: Is the Vault Within Reach?
With winter looming, Toot One may be the last shaft of the season. And yet, all signs suggest that the team is on the brink of something historic. Artifacts and structural remains hint at original depositor activity. The pickaxe discovery alone — found at over 160 feet — is beyond any documented searcher depth.
Tomorrow could be the day, the team says. At 171 feet, they are inches from the channel believed to have swallowed the original vault.
What Lies Ahead?
With Gold Rush winding down and Oak Island digging deeper than ever, the question on every viewer’s mind is the same: Are we finally about to uncover definitive proof of pre-1795 tunneling and treasure activity?
This week’s finds — ancient tools, wooden structures, and centuries-old artifacts — are more than storytelling. They are data points in a growing case that something remarkable happened on Oak Island long before modern history caught up.
As the narrator said best: Into the void they go — but this is no blind descent. It’s a mission built on faith, science, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
Stay tuned. The season finale may bring the breakthrough of the century.
