The Curse of Oak Island: SHAFT 9 DISCOVERED (Season 7) | History

Near the money pit area, members of the
Oak Island team have called Rick Lagina
and Craig Tester to see what they hope
will be one of this year’s most
important discoveries. Thanks to
information supplied to them by veteran
treasure hunter Dan Henske, they have
unearthed what they believe to be an
1863 searcher structure known as Shaft 9.

So, where are we? We have one of the
uphill corners. I think I cleared over
there, so it should be further that way.
I would dig all four. Oh, why not?
Yeah, we’ll want to measure it, that’s for
sure. You know, well, it’s one way to
corroborate. You know, if it really is…
Not right, okay. Well, we’re getting in your
way. Yep, yep.

Is that wood stuck?
He’s got a ton of hay.
Thomas, stop, stop!
What? He’s just dropped a ton of wood right
here that looks like it’s part of the
shaft.

This shaft should be 6 by 12, so
it’ll be interesting to see what the
size turns out to be on this.
You guys want to tape measure?
Yep, coming in.

You’re 6 by 12, measure it.
May not be too far off.
Well, feet inside. That is huge.
Now, we got the edge of it here.

6 by 12. We got those 1850s accounts
that say that all the open shafts were 6
by 12.

Let’s get diggin’.

Although the team is encouraged by the
fact that the wooden structure they uncovered
appears to match the historical dimensions of Shaft 9,
they are also understandably wary, as
over the centuries, the money pit has
been the site of more than 40 tunneling
operations.

[Music]

Tunnel that goes down to the sluice goes
through that bank right there.
Where’s it going to appear, though, Scott?
In that way?
Yeah, yeah. Kinda like this.

Look at that.
Yeah, there’s water coming
in over in the bank right here, coming
down through. Gonna have to crossbeam
right there.

There it is. The team has finally
unearthed a connection linking the shaft
to the sluice way. This proves they have
successfully discovered Shaft 9.

Not too often to see a tunnel, you know,
a horizontal tunnel like that, right?
Yeah, you know, and then you can see that
the beams, crossbeams, on top of it right now.
Yeah, this year was nice to see, though, because
now we know the tunnel comes back to
this shaft. Well, beyond a doubt, it’s the
one Dan Henske rid of it.

It’s an aha moment in the history of Oak
Island. We’re staring at a shaft that was
done over a century and a half ago.
It’s incredible to stand there and look
at what they accomplished. They
persevered. They were committed. They
wanted answers. We do too, so hopefully
there will allow us to finally do
what they sought to do: find the money
pit, understand what’s there, and
hopefully retrieve it.

This information is critically important
coming to an understanding of what we may do here in
the money pit in their future. Best
information is physical evidence.
Physical, and from there, absolutely have.

Yeah, you’ve got to take this data and bring
it back to the research center and
analyze it. Have Steve input it. Let’s go
do that right now, and maybe before the
end of the day, we’ll have an X on the
spot.

Okay, sounds good.