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'The Curse of Oak Island' viewers accuse team of 'ruining entire island' as Lagina brothers inch closer to solving mystery

'The Curse of Oak Island' fans are afraid that further Garden Shaft extension may lead to ruining their chance at treasures

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: 'The Curse of Oak Island' is ratcheting up the enthusiasm for their main project this season, as they begin investigating the long-desired tunnel beneath the Garden Shaft.

Much of the focus in the Tuesday, February 20 episode was on tracking the tunnel path, which they've all but established is located 95 feet below the Garden Shaft and leads to the high quantities of precious metals in the Baby Blob region - only to be warned by the viewers, to not "flood it again."

Rick Lagina, Scott Barlow, and Craig Tester received much-anticipated news during the Tuesday episode.

After extending the Garden Shaft to an estimated depth of 95 feet in the Money Pit region, Dumas Contracting Limited officials arrived at a seven-foot-high tunnel that connects to the Baby Blob and maybe a massive hoard of hidden wealth.

Rick, Marty Lagina, Craig, and the rest of the crew are experiencing a historic and thrilling time.

At the bottom of the Garden Shaft, in the famed Money Pit location, a wooden tunnel that may lead to a legendary stash of hidden wealth has finally been discovered at a depth of 95 feet.

Rick and Marty's childhood ambitions may soon be realized thanks to a discovery that has the potential to remake history. The final answers to who and what was behind the Oak Island mystery are at the end of a secret tunnel beneath the Garden Shaft.

One more dig is all they require. However, viewers are concerned the further extension of Garden Shaft may have made the funnel further vulnerable putting the team at risk of losing all their hard work to date.

One concerned fan wrote on X, "Here comes the flood!" While one quipped, "They messed around and summoned Thor on next week’s episode." 

One user advised, " Must always go DEEPER !! Just DONT GO..." While another claimed, "Still not convinced it’s a tunnel." 

One user joked at the back of the "curse" of Oak Island, "Rick is gonna fall down that hole and become #7." While one noticed, "Craig is waiting a safe distance away."

One user asked, "So they ruined an entire island when they could've just drilled straight down the garden shaft...?" Another fears, "Also the garden shaft is where they built a memorial. So they literally closed off the potential treasure shat themselves." 

What is the mystery of Oak Island?

When Michigan brothers Rick and Marty purchased a 50% share in the firm that owns the legendary Oak Island in 2006, they joined a long line of treasure seekers who have spent more than 220 years attempting to find incredible riches believed to be concealed inside its limits.

What are the challenges of exploring Oak Island?

According to Dan Conlin, author of Pirates of the Atlantic: Robbery, Murder, and Mayhem Off the Canadian East Coast, treasure seekers progressed from shovels and picks in the 18th century to steam pumps and drill bits in the 19th century, open-pit mining and bulldozers in the 20th century, and high-tech gear today.

However, despite technological breakthroughs, floods and cave-ins have forced hunter after hunter to abandon their pursuit.

"The persistent flooding and odd bits of wood and clay have convinced treasure hunters and writers that the island hides an elaborate engineering work of secret flood tunnels, multilayer platforms, and hidden caverns," Dan writes, noting that much of the island is composed of a particular kind of limestone that may trigger sinkholes that line with clay, silt, and logs during storms.

However, that has not deterred many efforts to unearth riches there. According to Gordon Fader and Joy A. Steele, authors of The Oak Island Mystery Solved, numerous firms began excavating the Money Pit and its surroundings in the early 1800s, including the Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company, which started digging in 1909.

Where is Oak Island Located?

Oak Island, located on the south side of Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast, is one of over 300 islands that make up Mahone Bay.

Many people think a great treasure is hidden in the 140-acre forest-covered region, based on folklore and myths that have circulated about the island since the late 18th century.

'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on History.