New Oak Island partners realistic about treasure hunt 

by Adam Jacobs

1 April 2008

COUNTY - Make no mistake, the "Michigan Group" is serious about unlocking the secrets of Oak Island.
At the same time, the new partners of long-time treasure-hunter Dan Blankenship are taking a realistic approach to the most recent island dig.

"This to us is just another exploration we're on," said new partner Craig Tester. "We're going to give it a try for a while, we're obviously very hopeful that we'll find something. But, I don't see us getting so hooked that we can't in some point in time say we've made our try and it's time for somebody else to try."

In 2006, oil barons Mr. Tester, Marty Lagina, Rick Lagina and Alan Kostrzewa purchased the lots once owned by Mr. Blankenship's long-time partner David Tobias.

The first dig since the group bought into the island began in February. Not wanting to play his cards too early, Mr. Blankenship would only confirm the dig was at a new site, not one of the previously well-documented drill spots such as the Money Pit.

"Whatever results we have we're going to keep to ourselves for now," Mr. Blankenship said. "We're going to wait until we've got a bird in the hand [before we make any announcements]."

The dig is on hold until sometime this spring or early summer.

Explorers by nature, Mr. Tester said he and his friends have no ambition to be placed amongst previous treasure hunters who exhausted their fortunes seeking what they couldn't find.

"You get used to having an idea that you believe very much in, you drill a well and there may be nothing there," he said. "We're used to doing that and being able to walk away without emotionally being destroyed."

Mr. Blankenship and the Michigan Group currently own about 78 per cent of the island.

Oak Island first entered the lives of the Michigan Group in the form of an article in Reader's Digest in the 1960s, which sparked a lifelong interest in Marty Lagina.

Mr. Tester said the group has a special partnership with Mr. Blankenship based on his 40-plus years of treasure hunting on Oak Island.

"It's been good," he said. "He's been very open with us. We discuss things and we're 50/50 partners. But, if it comes down to it and he wants to do things a little different, we've agreed we're going to go his route. He's had 40 years' experience, which is a lot more than any of us."

Despite bankrolling the current dig, Mr. Tester said he rarely gets to visit the island.

"There are three or four different times meeting with Dan on different things [that I've been to the island for]," he said. "Rick is our hands-on representative so he's up there more than we are. I plan on being up there later on this spring when we do a little more drilling."

Where that drilling is depends on the results of the most recent dig, he said. It could lead to more digging at that site.

Mr. Tester said a return to more traditional drill sites isn't out of the question.

As for what secret the island holds, he said he has his own ideas.

"Nothing strong," he said. "I tend to think it would probably come from the Incas or the Mayans, the looting of them by the Spaniards or the British or the French or whoever at different times were transporting gold at the time. At some point in time this was used for depositing, that's my guess."

Progress Enterprise, Lighthouse Publishing out of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia