'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11: Rick and Marty Lagina thwarted by 'ancient booby trap' in Garden Shaft

After waiting weeks for the Dumas Mining firm to excavate and for planning permissions, Marty and Rick Lagina travel underground back down the Garden Shaft
PUBLISHED DEC 20, 2023
'The Curse of Oak Island' team was in trouble due to an ancient booby trap (History)
'The Curse of Oak Island' team was in trouble due to an ancient booby trap (History)

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: On December 19, 'The Curse of Oak Island' resumes with the lads encountering a worrying situation at the Garden Shaft that may be an "ancient booby trap." The crew will also continue to investigate the Aladdin's Cave anomaly to discover whether it is a natural occurrence or a man-made construction erected by treasure depositors.

In Season 11, Episode 7, we will finally see Marty and Rick Lagina return underground down the Garden Shaft after weeks of waiting for planning permissions and the Dumas Mining firm to excavate.

'The Curse of Oak Island' team go down the Garden Shaft (History)
'The Curse of Oak Island' team go down the Garden Shaft (History)

Unfortunately, it appears that there may be an issue. The Dumas crew hoped to enlarge the shaft by drilling deeper, reaching a depth of around 98 feet in the initial phase of the project.

However, a teaser for Tuesday's broadcast showed a considerable amount of water gushing down the shaft's sides.

A Dumas official informed Rick and Marty that the amount of water they were facing was "crazy." Marty says, "I don't like the sound of that."

Water flooding in the Garden Shaft delays 'The Curse of Oak Island' team's plans  (History)
Water flooding in the Garden Shaft delays 'The Curse of Oak Island' team's plans (History)

Has 'The Curse of Oak Island' team made it through the notorious Garden Shaft water tunnel?

Long-term watchers will be alarmed, as it is widely known that treasure hunters on Oak Island have long been tormented by water tunnels. This ostensibly secure system is suspected to be a network of booby traps that force crucial tunnels, buildings, and shafts to fill with saltwater when a specific depth is reached.

Marty and Rick will be worried that the Dumas miners may have collided with one of these flood tunnels, which will severely impede further excavation in the region.

According to the episode synopsis on the History Channel, "When Rick and Marty finally get underground in the Garden Shaft for the first time this year, they may be foiled by an ancient booby trap."

'The Curse of Oak Island' fellowship members (Instagram/curseofoakisland)
'The Curse of Oak Island' fellowship members (Instagram/curseofoakisland)

'The Curse of Oak Island' team installed second camera in Money Pit region of Aladdin's Cave

Another camera was placed down a borehole into the so-called Aladdin's Cave, where they expected to locate a human-made secret room 160 feet below the surface of the Money Pit region.

In episode 6, the guys lowered a camera and a sonar detector into the cavern, seeking to determine if it was natural or man-made. The findings were rather ambiguous.

They couldn't see what was at the bottom because of the sloping angle of the cavern floor.

The team intended to drill again a few feet away to get a better look at the illusive bottom. The team was visibly excited as a camera examined the murky waters in the preview for Tuesday's episode.

There were a lot of "ohs" and "aahs" as the men howled in disbelief. Someone, most likely project manager Scott Barlow, pointed at the screen and said, "Oh my God, look at that."

Perhaps the lads have discovered evidence of man-made structures, or even better, genuine riches.

'The Curse of Oak Island' stars Rick and Marty Lagina will give it their all to locate the treasure (Instagram/@curseofoakisland)
'The Curse of Oak Island' stars Rick and Marty Lagina (Instagram/@curseofoakisland)

Why do they call it the Garden Shaft on Oak Island?

The shaft has been known for a long time and has been transformed into a pond surrounded by a rock garden, earning the name garden shaft. It was once merely a pit with a water-filled bottom.

The Money Pit, located on the east side of Oak Island, is a 100-foot-deep pit.

Rick and Marty Lagina to dig deeper in 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 Episode 4  (Instagram/@curseofoakisland)
Rick and Marty Lagina to dig deeper in 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11  (Instagram/@curseofoakisland)

New episodes of 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 air on Tuesdays at 9/8 pm Et/Pt on History.

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