Rick Lagina Confirms Ancient Templar Vault—The Mystery of Oak Island Is Finally Solved!

The treasure hunting stars of the curse of Oak Island, Rick and Marty Lagginina.
>> For more than 200 years, people have been drawn to a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, chasing a secret buried deep in its soil. Oak Island has seen diggers, treasure hunters, and historians trying to uncover what lies beneath the surface. Some say it is pirate gold. Others believe it could be ancient relics hidden by the Knights Templar. Many have dug, but the island remains silent. Old tools, strange stones, and pieces of metal have surfaced, but never the treasure itself.
Rick Lagginina from the Curse of Oak Island reality television says the wait may finally end. Deep underground, he believes they have found the Templar vault. The Curse of Oak Island, digging into a TV phenomenon. For over 10 years, The Curse of Oak Island has captivated viewers with its mystery, blending patient digging with thoughtful analysis. It is not a fast-paced show about building houses or surviving in the wild. It follows people searching, turning every nail or stone into a possible clue. The show airs on the History Channel and has grown into a large project that reminds people how questions can be as valuable as answers.
The first episode aired on January 5th, 2014 under What Lies Below. It reached 1,400,000 viewers. Kevin Burns of Prometheus Entertainment made the series. It began after brothers Rick and Marty Legina from Michigan bought a share of Oak Island through Oak Island Tours Incorporated. Their interest began in 1965 after reading about the island in a magazine. The show started with six episodes but grew into 13 seasons with talk of a final season in 2025.
By its 10th year, it had more than 230 episodes, each lasting about 42 minutes.
Some critics dismissed it, but its blend of history and meticulous research kept audiences watching far longer than many other shows. At its center, the show follows the Lega brothers as they try to solve a mystery that began in 1795.
Oak Island is about 140 acres wide and has lured people for centuries with stories of treasure buried in the money pit, a deep shaft said to hide gold, sacred relics, or even the Holy Grail.
The show is not about sudden fortune, but about slow work. Each episode showcases the team navigating mud, tides, and doubt.
Rick, a retired postman, is driven by belief and curiosity. Marty, an engineer, is more careful and measures the risks. They are joined by individuals such as Dan Hensley and Craig Testy, and experts who study coins, wood, and ancient bones that may indicate early European contact. The attraction of the show is that it never fully solves the mystery. It follows the small discoveries, a nail, a piece of cloth, or a crosses that build towards something larger. Theories about the island fill each season. From stories of the Templars to lost Spanish or Aztec treasure, historians, divers, and code experts visit to share ideas. The show turns their work into thoroughly examining clues rather than a quick answer. Every scene, from drone images of the swamp to lab tests, is designed to demonstrate the progress made in the search. The filming is steady and demanding. Prometheus Entertainment operates a production facility in Halifax led by John Levy and Joe Lassard. Crews follow the team across all seasons, filming the heavy work of drilling, scanning, and meetings in the war room. Marty once said, “Filming slows the process, as it can take months to show a week’s progress. Each episode begins by recalling the previous one, then shifts between fieldwork and team discussions. The editing adds clear graphics of tunnels, maps, and timelines to help viewers follow the findings. The work costs millions of dollars each season and is supported by Marty’s company and the History Channel. Editing shapes how the story is told. Some people say the suspense is too stretched, while others feel it shows the true pace of research. Contracts keep secrets from being revealed before airing, and sideh shows like Drilling Down give more background and interviews. The crew also works closely with Nova Scotia’s officials to follow the island’s heritage laws. Local workers assist in moving equipment and constructing supports for drilling. The emotions on screen, such as Rick’s quiet tears when he finds something small but meaningful, come from real moments.
After 11 years, The Curse of Oak Island continues to draw viewers. Its story is not about sudden victory, but steady effort and shared purpose. Whether treasure is found or not, the work itself has become the reward. The island’s mystery endures, and the people who search for it keep adding to its story, one careful step at a time. At the heart of this reality show is Rick Lagginina, who has played a significant role in helping the show reach a broader audience. Rick Lagginina’s passion for Heart of the Curse of Oak Island. When people think of the curse of Oak Island, they often picture Rick Lgina, his hair blowing in the wind and his eyes bright with excitement as he stands kneedeep in the mud of Nova Scotia. He is a retired postal worker from Michigan who did not simply find himself in the center of attention. He created it. Since the show began in 2014, Rick has been its driving force, turning a small family project into one of the History Channels most watched series.
The show seamlessly blends the feeling of adventure with careful study, keeping millions of viewers tuned in each week.
The story began in 1965 when an 11-year-old Rick read an article in Reader Digest about the island’s money pit. That small moment never left him.
He brought his brother Marty into the plan in 2006.
Marty, already running a winery business, joined Rick in buying most of Oak Island tours.
Rick was not searching for gold. He was searching for a story told through the old wood and seaworn soil. In an interview with Reality Blur in 2017, he said, “There’s a wonderful story on Oak Island waiting to be written.” When Prometheus Entertainment expressed interest in adapting it into a series, Rick ensured the idea remained grounded.
There were no actors or written lines, just honest work, real problems, and objective findings. He said, “Everything about that show is real. There are no scripts.” On screen, Rick stands out as the hopeful leader of the Fellowship of the Dig. He studies every clue with care. In the sixth season, he reviewed maps left behind by researcher Zena Halpern and established the Oak Island Research Center to maintain records of all findings. His role goes far beyond minor appearances. He often helps make smaller details more straightforward so the viewers can see the work more clearly. He once said, “Some of the things we have done, we have expanded on those because the show needs content.” This was not about changing facts, but about showing progress. His guidance helped the team utilize modern tools like muography and LAR to uncover what was hidden beneath the swamp. In a talk with Channel Guide magazine in 2015, Rick said, “We made some damn significant progress and some interesting revelations, which helped viewers stay with the show through 13 seasons and 230 episodes.” Rick has a way of searching that feels human. While Marty focuses on planning and numbers, Rick shows emotion when he holds a small cross or an old piece of metal. In that same reality blurred talk, his brother once said, “Rick’s criteria is that he does not want to leave with regrets.” That idea guides him through the slow search. He believes doubt is practical, saying things move forward because of skepticism.
Many people have come to the island to see where the show is made. As the island has attracted more visitors, children have become interested in history. In an interview with Sky History, Rick said, “Our goal is to solve this mystery, but each person who watches the show seems to take away something a little bit different.” Rick has stayed steady through long months of digging, failed tries, and floods. He respects those who came before, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who searched for answers on the island. Rick is not just part of the show. He is why it still stands. His careful search reminds people that real effort takes time in a world that often moves too fast. Because of him, Oak Island’s story continues one muddy step at a time. Rick Lginina confirms ancient Templar vault. Rick Lagginina has confirmed the existence of an old Templar vault buried deep under in Nova Scotia. His statement drawn from years of digging and close study points to a chamber that may hold relics from the Knights Templar. The news shared in an interview with Collider marks a critical moment in the long search for the island’s mystery.
Lginina said the discovery came from careful excavation, testing of metals, and underground scans. His words suggest that the Templars may have reached the New World long before Columbus. The Knights Templar were formed in 1119 after the first crusade. Their duty was to protect Christian pilgrims who traveled to the Holy Land. Backed by the Catholic Church, they became powerful and wealthy, inventing new methods of banking and trade. Their symbol, a red cross on a white background, was seen on fortresses across Europe. By the 13th century, they owned lands in Scotland and Portugal and had become skilled sailors. Their ships played a crucial role in battles along the coast, and their building designs demonstrated advanced engineering for that era.
Findings from ancient Templar sites in Portugal reveal underground rooms and water tunnels similar to those found on Oak Island. When King Philip IV of France accused them of heresy in 1312, their order was dissolved. Many members were arrested and their treasure vanished. Stories tell of a fleet that escaped from France with sacred items such as gold, the Holy Grail, or even the Ark of the Covenant. Some believe those who fled continued their work under a new name, the Order of Christ, using maps and sea charts that may have guided them westward. If Lagginena’s vault dates back to this period, it has been hidden for approximately 700 years.
Wood found in the tunnels was tested and linked to European oak trees that grew between 1320 and 1340. The condition of the wood suggests that the sealed layers of clay and water helped preserve it.
Samples of pollen revealed traces of grains such as rye that did not exist in North America before the arrival of Europeans, providing further evidence that the structure is ancient. The search for this vault goes back to 1795 when Daniel McInness found a strange pit on the island. Each time he and others dug deeper, they found layers of oak and stones as if someone had carefully built the shaft. Later groups like the Enslow Company in 184 discovered coconut fibers not native to Canada. A carved stone was also found which indicated that the treasure was buried 90 ft below.
Flooding soon filled the pit with seawater creating one of the most puzzling mysteries in history. By the 1860s, another team reached the same depth and found traces of clay and charcoal, materials used by the Templars to seal secret chambers. Work continued through the centuries, but Rick Lagginina gave the search a new direction. He and his brother Marty began a scientific approach to the dig in 2006.
Their progress has been shared with the public through the curse of Oak Island since 2014.
The most convincing clues appeared between 2017 and 2024.
A medieval lead cross was discovered and tests confirmed it originated from France in the 13th century. A radar scan in the swamp later revealed the outline of a large object more than 160 ft below the surface matching past reports of a hidden vault. In late 2024, deeper scans using advanced imaging showed a clear, hollow space surrounded by wood and clay, much like Templar vaults in France. Pieces of iron, old paper, and wood were tested. The tools used in the search combined modern science with fieldwork. Ground penetrating radar, seismic readings, and drone mapping helped locate tunnels and drains built to protect the chamber.
Samples of metal showed that the materials came from Europe. Even marks on stones around the island match symbols found in old Templar buildings.
Every new test strengthened the theory that this structure was built by skilled hands from a distant time. Rick Lagginena’s focus has always been on truth rather than treasure. In earlier interviews, he stated that the story of Oak Island was about human effort and mystery rather than wealth. By 2024, his tone had changed to certainty. He spoke of the evidence found, the cross, the maps, and now the vault, and said it was more than theory. His emotion during those words showed the depth of his dedication. He saw the vault not as riches, but as a message from history.
This finding changes how people see Oak Island. It links the mystery to real human history. Just as the Viking site in Newfoundland once proved that Norse sailors reached America before Columbus, if the chamber is opened under safe conditions, it might contain written records or objects that reveal how far the Templars traveled. Still, Lgina remains careful. In his recent talks, he reminded his team to move slowly and work with the proper permissions.
For him, the discovery is not an ending, but a bridge to the past. He continues to search with respect for those who may have built the vault and for the story they left behind. In finding this chamber, Rick Lagginina has revived the dream of an order that vanished 700 years ago. Their symbol, the Red Cross, lives on not through gold or relics, but through the lasting spirit of those who dared to explore beyond their world.
However, what do you think was inside the vault?
Keep watching as we reveal mysteries that have been guarded for centuries.
Inside the vault, deep beneath the windswept sands of Oak Island, where the Atlantic tides have guarded their secrets for centuries, lies a chamber that has finally silenced the doubters.
Rick Lagginina and his team uncovered what he described as an actual vault made by the Knights Templar. In the early part of 2025, the sounds of drilling and the hum of new scanning equipment surrounded the site as the team reached what old explorers had once called the chapel vault, buried 149 ft underground and untouched since the 14th century.
Lginina later told the Nova Scotia Archaeological Society that this was the structure they had chased for years and that all evidence pointed to the Templars. The claim rested on core samples that showed oak timbers dated to 1327 and iron spikes matching those forged in Templar outposts in Acre and Tortosa.
The chamber about 15x 20 ft was walled in lime mortar made with an old Roman formula perfected by engineers of the Crusades. It protected a group of artifacts that gave weight to the old story of the Templar’s secret voyage across the ocean carrying relics from Jerusalem.
The Knights Templar began in the early 12th century after the first crusade.
They were warriors and skilled financiers who built wealth through trade and services to pilgrims. Their underground vaults, like the one found at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 2019, were made with interlocking stone to keep out water, a method seen again in Oak Island’s clay walls. When the order was outlawed in 137, King Philip of France began the arrests.
Some Templar ships escaped from the port of Lar Rochelle, loaded with sacred items such as pieces of the ark, grail cups, and manuscripts of Solomon’s designs. Historian Timothy Wallace Murphy wrote that some of these men sailed west with the help of Portuguese seafarers from the Order of Christ. They used Arab navigation tools to cross the Atlantic and reach the foggy coast of Nova Scotia around 1320. Tests on plant remains found in the vault match those from the Mediterranean, suggesting a connection to these voyages. The discovery came through borehole E.75-5.6 drilled in December of 2024.
At 109 ft, burnt wood was brought up, blackened as if it had been used in a ritual fire, similar to what had been found at dome prison in France. At 115 ft, the drill cut through planks joined with wooden joints that matched Baltic oak used in Templar ships. At 149 ft, the drill reached limestone mixed with cement, marking the vault’s edge.
Earlier scans had shown a hollow area surrounded by solid walls, confirming this was a built structure. Lega said the materials showed skilled construction that matched Templar style and methods. Work to extract the vault began in January of 2025.
The first find was a piece of iron chain with 18 links. Test showed it was made in 1312, the same year the order was dissolved. It was almost pure iron and stamped with the Templar cross.
Scientists found traces of gold on it, suggesting it once held a holy object.
Lega later said that such chains had been used to secure sacred relics. Next came pieces of parchment, fragile and preserved in the still air of the vault.
Under special lighting, faint writing appeared, showing parts of a Latin psalm and drawings of circular church layouts.
Experts from the British Library dated the ink to the 13th century. Some text was written in the old Oxitan language used by the Cathars. One piece bore a drawing of a three-leaf design marked with lines that match the latitude of Oak Island. Lega said it was likely their map, showing how they used the stars to find their way to safety. The metals found were equally striking. A purple stone of amethyst was discovered, its cut style matching 13th century Bohemian craftsmanship.
Tests showed traces of resin once used in sacred vessels. A silver coin was found beside it, bearing the French lily mark utilized by rulers for Aquitane under Edward II, dated 136.
On the other side, the faint outline of the Templar cross could be seen.
Metallurgist Emma Culligan confirmed the coin’s metal matched that used in church silver. Lega remarked that such items were not pirate treasure, but relics with spiritual meaning. Plant remains from the vault gave further proof of their origin. There were bits of myrr, saffron, and ry grains, all dating to the early 14th century and not native to North America. A small bone fragment found nearby was examined and found to belong to a grown man with European and Middle Eastern genetic markers, suggesting one of the knights had been buried there. Lega later wrote in his notes that they had hidden their treasures and their dead. The chamber structure showed advanced skill. Oak beams were fitted tightly with dovetail joints to resist the sea pressure, a method used in ancient harbor works.
Five drains around the vault were lined with plant fiber from the Nile region to channel seawater away protecting the chamber. A bronze hinge inside held a piece of dried leather stamped with the flu dee symbol likely part of a chest that once held the artifacts. Lagginina made the public confirmation on the 7th day of January in 2025, saying the evidence of the chain, the parchment, and the silver coin all proved that the vault was Templar. The artifacts were reeried for preservation with copies placed in the local museum.
Later, cooperation with archives in Portugal revealed other vaults that held similar chains from the same period.
This finding has compelled historians to reassess aspects of early exploration.
The Templars may have reached the New World long before Columbus, guided by faith and secrecy.
Objects like the amethyst recall tales of the Holy Grail, which was allegedly kept in Valencia. Now stored digitally, the parchment texts may hold further secrets in their faded lines. After eight centuries underground, the vault has spoken through what it left behind.
Lginina said they did not find gold, but the beginning of a greater story, the proof of a brotherhood’s journey into the unknown. As the tides returned to cover the shore, Oak Island again became quiet, guarding the marks of men who carried their faith across an ocean and leaving traces of courage and devotion behind. The crew members of the Curse of Oak Island reality television show have achieved incredible feats, unearthing secrets that have been hidden for ages.
However, do you know their remarkable cast members? Believe me, there are great personalities.
Oak Island characters. The first Oak Island team comprised a close group that included Rick Marty, Alex Lagginina, Dan and Dave Blankenship, Craig Tester, Jack Begley, Dan Hensky, Charles Barkhouse, and Peter Fornetti. As time passed, the team grew bigger. Some men initially brought in for specific jobs such as Terry Mat, Larair Nan, and Gary Drayton later became full members and remained with the group permanently. Rick Lagginina, the older brother of Marty, was a retired postal worker with a lifelong interest in the island. When he was 11, he read about the Oak Island Money Pit in the January issue of Reader Digest in 1965.
The story inspired him deeply and led him to share his interest with his younger brother, Marty. Many years later, the two brothers bought most of Oak Island in 2006.
Marty Lagginina, the younger brother, provided much of the financial support for the work. He owned a vineyard in Traverse City, Michigan, and often appeared in the related show called The Curse of Civil War Gold. He was a trained diver who usually joined in the underwater searches. Dan Blankenship was one of the most experienced treasure seekers on Oak Island, having searched there for nearly 50 years. He was first drawn to the island after reading the same Reader Digest article as the Lega brothers. He drilled the bore hole known as 10X and dove to the bottom of the 235- ft shaft, the deepest on the island. By the show’s first season, he was 90 years old and no longer took an active role in digging, but remained a guide to others through his vast knowledge of the island. He died in 2019 at the age of 95 before the filming of season 7. His son Dave Blankenship continued his father’s work and had been helping him since the 1970s. Dave became one of the few people who lived on the island full-time. He was partly paralyzed on his left side because of an old industrial accident, but still played his part in the search. Craig Tester, Marty’s business partner, was an engineer and the father of Drake Tester and stepfather of Jack Begley. Jack Begley took on much of the hard physical work on the island, including sorting through dirt from shafts and walking through the swamp during searches. Alex Laggina, Marty’s son, was also a qualified diver who appeared often in the second season of The Curse of Civil War Gold. Dan Hensky had worked on Oak Island for decades and was one of the few who had spent much of his life there. He began helping Dan Blankenship in the early searches. Charles Barkhouse was known as the island historian and also worked as a guide for Oak Island Tours, the company that owned much of the land. He was a Freemason. Peter Fornetti, the nephew of Rick and Marty, became part of the team, as did another nephew, David Fornetti, who first appeared in one episode of the first season, but became a regular by the eighth season. David’s friend, William Castedo, also appeared once in the first season and was credited as part of the team. Paul Troutman joined during the second season. He was the son of a man who had worked with Robert Dunfield and Dan Blankenship in the 1960s.
Drake Tester, the son of Craig and step-brother of Jack Begley, appeared from the second to the fourth season. He passed away in March of 2017.
Fred Nolan, who appeared in the third season, had been a land surveyor on the island since 1958. He owned land and spent many years searching for treasure there. He had disagreements with Dan Blankenship for much of his life, but by the third season, he agreed to join forces with the team. His age limited his fieldwork, but he shared valuable maps and information before he died in 2016, shortly before season 4 aired. It was later revealed that although he had a home on the island, he never spent a night there. Doug Crowell, a researcher, joined the team in season 4. He introduced them to Zena Halpern and worked at the Center of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia.
Billy Ghart also joined during season 4 as a heavy equipment operator. He ran his own business, Ghart Property Improvement in Lunenburgg, and his trucks and machines were often seen at the Money Pit and Smith’s Cove. Terry Mat joined the team during the fifth season as a local geologist to study the drill samples and later participated in the excavation work at Smith’s Cove.
Leairard Nan, a local archaeologist, first appeared in the episode Always Forward. He became a full member after the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage required archaeological supervision for the site. Gary Drayton, a metal detecting expert from Florida, had earlier appeared in the second and fourth seasons, but officially joined the team in the fifth. He also participated in the Curse of Civil War Gold. Steve Guptal joined the team in season 6 as a local surveyor. He was brought in to organize and map all the location data gathered through S. He later worked on many tasks that required precise measurements. Tom Nolan, the son of Fred Nolan, first appeared in season 5 and helped the team before becoming a full member in season 7. Scott Barlo, the project manager for Oak Island Tours Incorporated, appeared in several episodes of season 7 and worked closely with the team during their later operations.
While most explorers undertake difficult jobs or live without modern aid in the wilderness, The Curse of Oak Island is unique in discovering an excavating historical relics. What do you have to say about Rick Lagginina’s discovery?
Let’s hear from you in the comments.
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