'The Curse of Oak Island' fellowship members suspect multiple covert operations transpiring on Lot 5

The Lagina brothers and 'The Curse of Oak Island' team appear to have reservations about the secretive activities that unfolded on Lot 5
UPDATED NOV 29, 2023
The fellowship members on 'The Curse of Oak Island' suspect that Lot 5 may have been a hub for covert activities, possibly tied to the mysterious Garden Shaft (History Channel)
The fellowship members on 'The Curse of Oak Island' suspect that Lot 5 may have been a hub for covert activities, possibly tied to the mysterious Garden Shaft (History Channel)

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: 'Shear Mystery', the fourth episode of 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11, will show Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, and their excellent team of professionals working tirelessly to unearth the wealth concealed on the well-known Oak Island.

In the November 28 episode of the show, the Lagina brothers and their friends will continue their quest for fortune.

They will be seen harboring concerns about the clandestine activities that occurred on Lot 5. These actions appear to be linked in some manner to the Garden Shaft.

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

According to further inquiry, the fellowship suspects that various hidden activities occurred on Lot 5, potentially connected to the Garden Shaft.

The original cast included Rick, Marty, and Alex Lagina, Dan and Dave Blankenship, Craig Tester, Jack Begley, Dan Henskee, Charles Barkhouse, and Peter Fornetti. However, 'The Oak Island' crew has grown over time.

Some experts who were brought to the island for specialized tasks, such as Terry Matheson, Laird Niven, and Gary Drayton, have become full-time members of the team.

A handful of people have made repeated appearances, generally when their expertise is required in connection with the treasure search. They may often appear in one season and then seldom appear or not at all in subsequent seasons, depending on what is necessary throughout the continuous search.

Aside from permanent and recurrent cast members, there have been other visits by persons having a substantial, and often close, connection to Oak Island.

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

Do the people get paid to work on 'The Curse of Oak Island'?

The cast is paid on a per-season basis; therefore, they are not legally required to appear in every episode. Their contract is standard for reality shows, so they make tens of thousands of dollars every season.

On the other side, they hammer out product placement arrangements, which also helps.

'The Curse of Oak Island' team (Instagram/curseofoakisland)
'The Curse of Oak Island' team (Instagram/curseofoakisland)

Who owns Lot 5 on 'The Curse of Oak Island'?

Last year, the Laginas and their associates were reported to have bought Oak Island Lot 5 from the estate of Robert S Young on the Oak Island From The Other Side of The Causeway Facebook page. It was also claimed that work with chainsaws was being done on Lot 5.

Except for the 1+ acre parcel where Dave Blankenship's house is located, the Laginas and their partners, together with Tom Nolan, now control all the land on Oak Island.

The Fellowship of the Dig will have access to all of Oak Island for the search operations, except sections marked as off-limits by the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage after Archeologist Laird Niven discovered several pieces of ancient Mikmaq pottery.

'The Curse of Oak Island' team find unusual artefact in Lot 5 (HistoryChannel)
'The Curse of Oak Island' team finds unusual artifact in Lot 5 (HistoryChannel)

Who dug the Garden Shaft in 'The Curse of Oak Island'?

After negotiating a contract with one of the property owners, Robert Restall, his 18-year-old son, and business partner Karle Graeser arrived at Oak Island in 1959. They drilled a hole down to 27 feet (8.2 m) in 1965 to try to plug what was assumed to be a storm drain in Smith's Cove.

Reader's Digest included a description of the pit's excavation in the January 1965 issue. Robert R was overtaken by hydrogen sulfide fumes on August 17.

His son then fell down the shaft and became unconscious. The two men were later saved by Karle and two others, Cyril Hiltz and Andy DeMont.

A visitor to the site, Edward White, had himself lowered into the shaft on a rope but was only able to haul out Andy. Robert R, his son, Karle, and Cyril, died.

Robert Dunfield leased sections of the island that year. Robert D used a 70-ton digger crane with a clam bucket to excavate the pit area to a depth of 134 feet (41 m) and a width of 100 feet (30 m).

The crane's transportation to the island necessitated the building of a causeway (which still remains) from the western extremity of the island to Crandall's Point on the mainland, which was two hundred meters distant. The lease for Robert D expired in August 1966.


 
 
 
 
 
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'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 airs on Tuesdays, at 9 pm on the History Channel.

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