1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 This place is much more dramatic than I pictured. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:12,000 The locals don't swim in the lake because they believe it is haunted. 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Nobody's died there, so nobody's ever seen it. 4 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,000 Here we go, into the darkness. 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Wow, look at these formations. 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000 This will be a particularly deep dive for me, so I'm feeling anxious. 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,000 I may have something over here. It's a box. I see a box. 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 In a remote corner of Africa, amidst Namibia's sweeping deserts, 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:54,000 is an unexpected sight, an enigmatic lake that hides a dark past. 10 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Local tribes believe it's cursed, a place of certain death. 11 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,000 European colonists even thought it was bottomless. 12 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Perhaps that's why Lake Ochikoto was the perfect place for retreating German soldiers 13 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 to dump their weapons during World War I. 14 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,000 But what if they hid more than just guns? 15 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,000 For nearly a century, a legend has persisted that the German High Command 16 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,000 also ordered the sinking of a safe, filled with 6 million gold marks. 17 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,000 Now, acting on eyewitness information and boundary pushing technology, 18 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:37,000 a team of explorers may be closer than ever to discovering the truth deep in the abyss. 19 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:42,000 New clues have also surfaced that could change the search area entirely, 20 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:47,000 with some now believing that part of the treasure might actually be buried on land. 21 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000 I'm jetting to Namibia to chase down these new leads. 22 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:57,000 I'll join an elite team of divers on the most comprehensive and dangerous search 23 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,000 ever conducted to get to the bottom of the bottomless lake. 24 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 My name is Josh Gates. 25 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Look at that, with a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 26 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 27 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,000 This is horrible. This is officially horrible. 28 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth, 29 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 30 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,000 We're going to cry, let's go. 31 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 32 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,000 After a short 18-hour trip to the southwestern edge of Africa, 33 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,000 I'm in Namibia's capital city of Vindhuk. 34 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,000 This region was mired in conflict for much of the 20th century. 35 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 Today, it is a place reborn. 36 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,000 Welcome to Namibia. 37 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,000 This is one of the youngest countries in Africa, 38 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 having gained its independence from South Africa in 1990. 39 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,000 And its capital here, Vindhuk, is kind of a puzzler, actually. 40 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,000 For a country that's made up mostly of wide-open deserts, 41 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000 this place is oddly modern and manicured. 42 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,000 It may not be the most exciting place in the world, 43 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,000 but it probably wins my vote for the cleanest and safest capital on the entire continent. 44 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,000 It is also the starting line for my expedition in search of a legendary lost treasure. 45 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Thirteen different African tribes and the descendants of European colonizers 46 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:33,000 call Namibia home, which makes the streets of Vindhuk a true melting pot of cultures. 47 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000 It also makes dining here an adventure, 48 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:41,000 and I hit up a hotspot where patrons can enjoy some real FaceTime with their food. 49 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,000 There you go. 50 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,000 What have we got here? 51 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:51,000 That's goat head. 52 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,000 It's a goat head, a full goat head. 53 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:54,000 A full one. 54 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,000 Thank you very much. 55 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,000 Enjoy it. 56 00:03:58,000 --> 00:03:59,000 I appreciate it. 57 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Here we go. 58 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Okay. 59 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000 How do you get into this thing? 60 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,000 I don't know where to start. 61 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Okay, some cheeks maybe. 62 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:14,000 Here we go. 63 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,000 Here's the thing. 64 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 In all seriousness, it's great. 65 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,000 It's looking at me, though, which is a problem. 66 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,000 But I like to think of myself as a problem solver. 67 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:35,000 So they say the eyeball is actually a delicacy. 68 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,000 Okay, here's looking at you, kid. 69 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,000 No way. 70 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000 This is tough. 71 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,000 I'll hurt you for me. 72 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Come on. 73 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Okay, whew. 74 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,000 This is the longest lunch of my life. 75 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 Lunch was a total head trip. 76 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,000 But so is all of Namibia. 77 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:11,000 Confused travelers will notice that half the buildings look like they teleported in from Bavaria, 78 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,000 including these tents in the center of town. 79 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Welcome to Oktoberfest, Namibia style. 80 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Here we go. 81 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,000 This is how we do in Namibia. 82 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,000 Cheers. 83 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,000 Gryffindor. 84 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,000 We may be 6,000 miles from Munich, but Germans feel right at home here. 85 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,000 So Africa may seem like a strange place to celebrate Oktoberfest, 86 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,000 but in fact, German culture runs very deep here. 87 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,000 The Germans actually colonized this area in the late 1800s 88 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,000 and turned it into German Southwestern. 89 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,000 So it's a great place to celebrate Oktoberfest. 90 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,000 And it's a great place to celebrate Oktoberfest. 91 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000 So we colonized this area in the late 1800s 92 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,000 and turned it into German Southwest Africa. 93 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,000 And the end of their reign is the beginning of our story. 94 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:01,000 World War I is raging, not just in Europe, but also in the African colonies. 95 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,000 And in 1915, the British-backed South African forces 96 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,000 invade their neighbor, German Southwest Africa. 97 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:13,000 Outnumbered 10 to 1, the German troops retreat north from the capital of Windhoek 98 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 to formally surrender in Karab on July 9, 1915. 99 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000 But right before they do, 100 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,000 Commander Victor Franke sends a small group of soldiers north to Lake Ocicoto 101 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:28,000 with orders to sink their cannons and arms before they can be seized by the enemy. 102 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,000 And that's not all. 103 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Legend says the Germans also dump a safe filled with 6 million gold marks. 104 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Six million marks would sure buy a lot of beer, and there's no shortage of that here. 105 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Oh, my savior. I'll take two. 106 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,000 And that's very clearly a wrap on Oktoberfest. 107 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 The next morning, I set off to meet with Theo Schumann. 108 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Having spent his entire life in Namibia, 109 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000 he's one of the foremost experts on Lake Ocicoto. 110 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,000 Theo. 111 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Good morning, Josh. 112 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,000 Great to meet you. 113 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,000 Great to meet you too. 114 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Welcome to Namibia. 115 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Thank you so much. 116 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,000 My understanding is that when it comes to the story of this lake, 117 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000 nobody knows more about this than you do. 118 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Is that safe to say? 119 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,000 I believe so, yes, because I was the second person to dive in the lake. 120 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:29,000 A lifelong explorer, Theo and two friends made an incredible underwater discovery in 1984. 121 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:34,000 Some of the cannons the Germans had dumped into Lake Ocicoto decades earlier. 122 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,000 But the lake slopes to even deeper depths where they haven't explored. 123 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000 And so why now? Why is there a new search underway? 124 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,000 There is now new technology available for us to go deeper, to see more, 125 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 and to actually do a very comprehensive survey of the lake. 126 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,000 If there is a treasure in that lake, we stand the best chance ever of finding it. 127 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,000 I like the sound of that. This is happening now. 128 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,000 We have a team already assembled up at Lake Ocicoto. 129 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,000 And Josh, I would love to invite you up to join us. 130 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,000 Are you kidding me? I would be thrilled. 131 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,000 That would be wonderful. 132 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:07,000 However, one condition. 133 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,000 Okay. 134 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:09,000 You drive. 135 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,000 I can handle that. 136 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,000 You can handle that. 137 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,000 Yeah, come on. Let's do it. Come on. 138 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,000 We hit the road, traveling north toward Lake Ocicoto. 139 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,000 How far from here to Lake Ocicoto? 140 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,000 Approximately 450 kilometers. 141 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,000 I'm starting to see why you wanted me to drive here. 142 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,000 All told, the drive will take more than five hours. 143 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,000 And there aren't many places to stop along the way. 144 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:43,000 Boy, when you get outside of the city, it just drops away to nothing real quick. 145 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:44,000 Absolutely. 146 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,000 This is Namibia. Empty. 147 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,000 It is one of the least densely populated nations on Earth. 148 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,000 And a place where nature takes on an almost mystical presence. 149 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:03,000 I've heard stories about this lake that make it sound almost supernatural or otherworldly. 150 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,000 People have described it as like a bottomless pit. 151 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:12,000 The locals don't swim in the lake because they believe it is haunted. 152 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:17,000 And that there are currents and whirlpools and all kinds of funny things, isn't there? 153 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Right. 154 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Now those legends actually originate back to Cook. 155 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:27,000 He went swimming in the lake and he disappeared completely drowned 156 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,000 and his body was never found. 157 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,000 Never found? 158 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,000 Never found. 159 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,000 In 1927, a local postmaster named Johannes Cook 160 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,000 dared to swim in the mysterious Lake Ocicoto, 161 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,000 but he never resurfaced. 162 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,000 And to this day, his body has not been recovered. 163 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,000 That started the legends about it. 164 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,000 Right. So this is considered almost like a spiritual place then? 165 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,000 Absolutely. 166 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,000 We cross into the heart of Namibia, 167 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,000 where sometimes the shortest road between two points takes you through the backcountry. 168 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000 And I do mean backcountry. 169 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:02,000 Oh, there's an elephant. 170 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,000 Careful, careful. 171 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,000 I'm just gonna give him all the room he needs. 172 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,000 There's a reason that Max Fury Road was shot here. 173 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,000 And if there's a live action version of the Lion King in the works, 174 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,000 it would do nicely for that as well. 175 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:18,000 So we've got warthogs. 176 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,000 Look at that, warthogs. 177 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Warthogs are weird for me because Disney made them so cute, 178 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,000 but then you see them in person and they're not actually all that cute. 179 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,000 Sorry, clumba. 180 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:34,000 Namibia boasts an array of wildlife unlike anywhere else, 181 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,000 including the world's largest population of endangered cheetahs. 182 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,000 Incredible how much of this country is wilderness. 183 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,000 This desert is teeming with hungry wild animals, 184 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,000 but becoming lunch might be the least of our worries. 185 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,000 Stop, stop, stop, stop. 186 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,000 Rhino. 187 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,000 That's a rhino. 188 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,000 A rhino. 189 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,000 I'm crossing the vast plains of Namibia. 190 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,000 By my side is deep diving expert Theo Schumann, 191 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,000 who's directing me to a mysterious lake 192 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,000 where legend says a German treasure was sunk in World War I. 193 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 This part of the country is quite literally wild, 194 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000 and we're doing our best to share the road, 195 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,000 when suddenly... 196 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,000 Josh, stop, stop, stop, stop. 197 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:29,000 Rhino. 198 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,000 That's a rhino. 199 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,000 I'm fairly certain that impact would not have gone in our favor. 200 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,000 Okay, I'm gonna turn those around here. 201 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Yes, let's try to go around him. 202 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,000 Please don't charge me, please don't charge me. 203 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,000 Quietly go past. 204 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 We're alive. 205 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,000 There we are. 206 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,000 We're alive. 207 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,000 We drive deeper into the desert, 208 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,000 and after a day of gazing at endless sand, 209 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,000 an astounding sight appears before us. 210 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,000 The magnificent and mysterious Lake Ochikoto. 211 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,000 Ochikoto literally means deep hole. 212 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Formed by a collapsed cave, 213 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 it is one of only two lakes in the entire country, 214 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 and it's easy to see why people are afraid of it. 215 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,000 The crater is ringed by sheer cliffs, 216 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,000 and the rusted tendrils of old pipes, 217 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,000 and a forgotten pumping station, 218 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 dating back to when Germans sucked fresh water out of the abyss. 219 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,000 This is the location where the Germans are believed 220 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000 to have dumped their weapons, 221 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:41,000 and a box containing a fortune and gold at the end of World War I. 222 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,000 To understand how we're going to tackle investigating the lake, 223 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Theo introduces me to his team. 224 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Hey, nice to meet you guys. 225 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Nice to meet you. 226 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Nice to meet you. 227 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,000 John. 228 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:52,000 John, pleasure. 229 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Richard. 230 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,000 Evan. 231 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,000 Evan. 232 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,000 Great to meet you guys. 233 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,000 This place is much more dramatic than I pictured. 234 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,000 It's really something. 235 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,000 It is. 236 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,000 Just for a sense of scope and scale, how wide is this thing? 237 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,000 It's approximately 300 feet in diameter. 238 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,000 And what about the depth? 239 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Well, we've had divers, 240 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,000 and you've had people talk about depths, 241 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,000 but we don't really know. 242 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,000 So we don't know for sure how deep it goes. 243 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,000 Wow. 244 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,000 So tell me about this new search. 245 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,000 What are you guys doing now? 246 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,000 We've bought in some really sophisticated sonar equipment, 247 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,000 and that's where Richard comes in. 248 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,000 You're the sonar man. 249 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:25,000 I'm the sonar man. 250 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,000 So how could it still have secrets to offer up? 251 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,000 How could we still not know what's down there? 252 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,000 Because of the depths, 253 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,000 you are limited to bottom time. 254 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,000 So literally, you can go down, do something, 255 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,000 and you've got to start going up again. 256 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,000 Right. 257 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Because it's just too deep. 258 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:41,000 OK, so how do we begin? 259 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,000 Well, we get the boat in the water. 260 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 We get the sonar established on it. 261 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000 And we get out there and start trawling up and down. 262 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,000 I love it. 263 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Let's do it. 264 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Let's go. 265 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,000 Step one of our investigation is letting a sonar system scan 266 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,000 the darkest recesses of the lake. 267 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,000 This should provide a never-before-seen 3D image 268 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,000 of what lies beneath the surface, 269 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,000 allowing us to pinpoint anomalies on the lake's floor. 270 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000 Hopefully one of them will be a box of German gold. 271 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:15,000 OK, sonar's up, and we are ready recording now. 272 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,000 The system may look homespun, 273 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,000 but it's absolutely bleeding-edge tech. 274 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,000 Richard is using a multi-beam sonar system, 275 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000 together with dual GPS receivers 276 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,000 and a motion reference unit 277 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,000 to pinpoint targets on the lake's floor 278 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,000 to centimeter accuracy. 279 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,000 This system has revolutionized exploration survey, 280 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,000 and almost immediately, 281 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,000 the computer starts spitting back results. 282 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,000 So what you're looking at here is the bottom 283 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000 where it's the very strong signal. 284 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Right. 285 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,000 It's a very hard bottom, really. 286 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,000 And things like this, what are these... 287 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,000 What is this on the bottom here? 288 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,000 You know, I don't know, but that's the sort of thing 289 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000 we'd want to send the divers down to 290 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 if it's still within their depth range. 291 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Wow. 292 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,000 And so for now, though, we just keep mowing the lawn 293 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,000 and collecting data. 294 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,000 That's it. 295 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,000 All right. 296 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,000 We continue our methodical pass across the lake 297 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,000 to let the sonar scan for anomalies on the bottom. 298 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Sometimes you're looking at things 299 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,000 that probably nobody's ever looked at. 300 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000 I bet this place is in this lake. 301 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,000 Nobody's dived there. 302 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,000 So nobody's ever seen it. 303 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Man on the moon type stuff. 304 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:16,000 It is. 305 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,000 Yeah. 306 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,000 We complete our scan, 307 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,000 and I navigate us back to the shore 308 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000 where we reconvene with the team. 309 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,000 We eagerly await for the computer to process the data 310 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,000 in hopes that it will uncover possible locations 311 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,000 for the lost treasure. 312 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,000 How did the number crunching go? 313 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,000 The number crunching has gone really, really well 314 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000 and very surprising. 315 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,000 That's the hole in the middle. 316 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Right. 317 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:41,000 And around the outside of that, 318 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,000 you can see the actual shape of this lake. 319 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,000 Is that underwater? 320 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,000 I'm at all underwater. 321 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,000 That's what you do not see 322 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000 when you stand there looking out across that lake. 323 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Oh, my God. 324 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,000 That's huge. 325 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000 So that's what it looks like in two dimensions. 326 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,000 And this is what it looks like in three dimensions. 327 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,000 That's crazy. 328 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,000 That's phenomenal. 329 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,000 That is awesome. 330 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,000 That is beautiful. 331 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,000 I thought it is. 332 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,000 That's the first time we've really seen 333 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000 what this lake looks like. 334 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,000 The scan reveals, for the first time ever, 335 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,000 a complete picture of the mysterious O'Chicoto. 336 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 The lake actually widens like a cone underneath the cliffs 337 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 and is much larger and deeper than anyone expected. 338 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 This is really extraordinary. 339 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,000 In terms of depth, what are we looking at? 340 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,000 Well, at the very, very bottom, 341 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,000 you're down about 300 feet. 342 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,000 That's incredible. 343 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,000 Can you go inside of it? 344 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,000 Let's go. 345 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,000 Let's go where the divers would go 346 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,000 without all that paraphernalia. 347 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:35,000 That's insane. 348 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,000 And now we're on the seafloor. 349 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,000 Are these some of the hits we saw in the sonar? 350 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Exactly. 351 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,000 So, I mean, you've got a map, 352 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,000 but what we're really trying to do here 353 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,000 is find these anomalies, find the targets 354 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000 that the divers can go down to efficiently. 355 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Right. 356 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Get them right to a spot where there's something unusual. 357 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000 So there's this whole new perimeter inside the lake 358 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:55,000 and the bottom of the lake 359 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,000 that maybe hasn't been completely searched before, 360 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,000 where things could have rolled down into. 361 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000 Absolutely. 362 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Chris, in terms of sorting through these targets, 363 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,000 how do you attack this? 364 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,000 These sites, yeah, there's a couple of hits 365 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,000 which we could definitely reach 366 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000 with conventional normal, you know, scuba gear. 367 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000 Do you think I might be able to get down to those? 368 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:14,000 I think you could. 369 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,000 And what about these deeper targets? 370 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,000 Could you guys reach those targets? 371 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 We could reach those targets, yes. 372 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,000 Okay. 373 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,000 So, should we go down there 374 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:21,000 and see what these targets actually are? 375 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:22,000 Let's go. 376 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,000 Let's go. 377 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,000 Let's go diving. 378 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000 First, we'll investigate the targets 379 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,000 that lie just over 100 feet down. 380 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Later, Chris, Evan, and Johan, 381 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,000 who are certified technical divers, 382 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,000 will use specialized underwater gear 383 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,000 to investigate the deeper hits. 384 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,000 Okay, so this is where things get real. 385 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,000 The sonar's given us some really exciting hits, 386 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,000 but as Richard says, 387 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,000 it's all about getting eyes down there. 388 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,000 So, this lake is very dangerous. 389 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,000 It's very deep. 390 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,000 This will be a particularly deep dive for me, 391 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:52,000 so I'm feeling anxious, 392 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000 but really excited to get down there 393 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000 and see what's actually on the bottom. 394 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,000 Okay, Josh, we've got that comm system up here, 395 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,000 so we'll be able to talk with you. 396 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000 Sounds good. All right, stay in touch. 397 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Great. Have a good dive. 398 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:07,000 Thanks very much. 399 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,000 To guide us in the murky water, 400 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,000 we drop what's known as a shot line 401 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,000 down to the area of the first sonar targets. 402 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,000 Okay, we're headed down the line now. 403 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Copy that, heading down the line. 404 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,000 The press temperature is dropping here. 405 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,000 This is the thermal climbing. 406 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,000 It's still going to get trillium. 407 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,000 As we go deeper. 408 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,000 Okay, we're touching 30 meters. 409 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Copy that, 30 meters. 410 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,000 Okay, we are touching down on the bottom here. 411 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,000 Excellent. You should be down about 34 meters 412 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,000 and descending along the slope to the sonar target. 413 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,000 Copy that. 414 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,000 Be careful if you disturb that sand 415 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,000 and can get really murky very quickly. 416 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Copy that, trying to stay on the bottom. 417 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,000 We make it down to the area where Richard's sonar 418 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,000 revealed several of the areas 419 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 and as the sand settles, 420 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,000 my flashlight catches something amazing. 421 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000 We got a cannon here. 422 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,000 This is one of the cannons first spotted by Theo in 1984. 423 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,000 I'm blown away by this magnificent piece of living history. 424 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,000 This is the first one. 425 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,000 A success. 426 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000 This is the first one. 427 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000 A six, seven meters further away, we have a second one. 428 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,000 The colonial German era cannons are proof positive 429 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,000 that soldiers dumped their arms right here in Lake Ochikoto. 430 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,000 That part of the legend is undeniably true. 431 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Now we just need to find evidence 432 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000 that there's also gold in these waters. 433 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,000 Let's keep moving, see if we can get to that other target. 434 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,000 We descend the slope passing 140 feet. 435 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,000 We're now at the very limits of conventional scuba depths 436 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,000 and we have only minutes to find the next sonar hit. 437 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Chris, Theo, I may have something over here. 438 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,000 It's a box, I see a box. 439 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,000 I'm 140 feet below the surface of Namibia's Lake Ochikoto, 440 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,000 diving for a fabled lost treasure 441 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,000 when I spot something extraordinary. 442 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,000 It's a box, I see a box. 443 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,000 Did you say a box? 444 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Get up and not sure what's inside. 445 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Going in for a closer look. 446 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,000 Looks like it might be an ammo box. 447 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,000 It's definitely an ammo box. 448 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,000 George, be very careful in case there's live ammo in there. 449 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,000 Looks like nothing but silt, just sand. 450 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,000 This is definitely German, yes? 451 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,000 It's as German as you can get. 452 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,000 Finally see a target. 453 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,000 Finally see a target is confirmed from the sonar. 454 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,000 Even if it wasn't the golden box. 455 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000 Copy that. 456 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,000 The cannons and ammo box are proof 457 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,000 that part of this legend is unequivocally true. 458 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000 The remainder of the sonar hits 459 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000 are in even deeper parts of the lake, 460 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000 but our bodies are too saturated with nitrogen 461 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,000 to remain down here. 462 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,000 Gentlemen, pay attention to you time. 463 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,000 Bottom time is up. 464 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,000 Copy that, and even a surface. 465 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Copy to that, you start your decomp. 466 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,000 On our way up the lines, 467 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,000 we perform a critical safety stop to decompress. 468 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000 Ascending too fast from these depths 469 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,000 can lead to bubbles in the bloodstream 470 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,000 and a potentially fatal condition known as the bends. 471 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,000 But by carefully monitoring our dive computers, 472 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000 we finally make it back to the safety of the surface. 473 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,000 That was incredible. 474 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,000 I thought you were rich for a moment. 475 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,000 I did too. 476 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,000 That box just sitting there, it's beautiful. 477 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Now you've seen something out of the colonial era. 478 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,000 I mean just sitting there frozen in time. 479 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,000 OK, so where do we go from here now? 480 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,000 Well, we're not fresh unfortunately, 481 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,000 so our body has to have a bit of a surface interval. 482 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,000 So we're going to climb out, regroup. 483 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,000 Sounds great. 484 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,000 We have more targets to search, 485 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,000 though we can't dive again until our bodies 486 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,000 have released the excess nitrogen in our systems. 487 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,000 But Theo isn't about to take a nap on the shore. 488 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,000 And it turns out there's a new twist to this story. 489 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000 OK, what are we doing? 490 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,000 There are of course stories that this treasure 491 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,000 may have been stored away or stashed away on land. 492 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,000 Wow, it's incredible. 493 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,000 And we got a call from this farmer 494 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,000 who's found some interesting artifacts on his farm. 495 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,000 And in fact, that was one of the areas 496 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,000 where the German troops went through. 497 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,000 So it's well worth it. 498 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000 Right through his farm. 499 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,000 And has this farmer's land been searched before? 500 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,000 No, it hasn't been searched at all. 501 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,000 We know that in 1915 some of the retreating German troops 502 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,000 dumped their weapons and ammunition in Lake Ocho-Cogo. 503 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:07,000 But the majority of the soldiers never make it that far north 504 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,000 and surrender in a town called Karab 505 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,000 near the farm where Theo is leading us. 506 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,000 Waiting for us is farmer André Schumann and his son Kyle. 507 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000 How are you? I'm Josh. 508 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:24,000 I'm André. 509 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Pleasure, André. 510 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,000 How are you? 511 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,000 This farm has a connection to the German soldiers 512 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,000 that were here, is that right? 513 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,000 Yeah, yeah, one of the soldiers owned this farm. 514 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Really? 515 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,000 The German surrender took place where? 516 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,000 Very close to this farm. 517 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,000 And so you guys said that you found something out here? 518 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,000 Yes, it's in the back. I'll just fetch it quickly. 519 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,000 It's a double barrel shotgun. 520 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,000 Look at that. 521 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,000 That is awesome. 522 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Wow. 523 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:53,000 What do you think? 524 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000 Well, very definitely from the German colonial times. 525 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,000 Yeah. 526 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Also these pieces of metal. 527 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000 Metal shards, you could see it's been shattered. 528 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,000 Iron, it looks blown apart, whatever it was. 529 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,000 And where did you find this stuff? 530 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,000 About four or five kilometers just down the road here in the valley. 531 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,000 And we also found a cave near by. 532 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:13,000 There's a cave down there? 533 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:14,000 Yeah. 534 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,000 Have you been through the cave? 535 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,000 Have you searched in there yet? 536 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:17,000 Not yet. 537 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000 We haven't been with any metal detectors or anything, you know. 538 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,000 Is it possible for you to take us to where you found this stuff, 539 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,000 to where the cave is? 540 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,000 Yeah, sure. 541 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,000 Yeah, we could do that. 542 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,000 You want to jump in with us? 543 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,000 No, I think we must go with this. 544 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,000 Wait a minute, you're telling me this drives? 545 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,000 Yeah, well, it's a Land Rover. 546 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Look, just because it's a Land Rover doesn't mean it drives. 547 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,000 And what's going on with the tires? 548 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,000 Well, it's because of the thorns. 549 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,000 We have the sickle bush, and we've put in another layer of tires 550 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,000 so that the thorns don't get through. 551 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,000 You've put a tire on top of the tire? 552 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:50,000 Yeah. 553 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Okay, yes, we're definitely taking your car then. 554 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,000 Okay. 555 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000 Now that I see this, I realize we should not be driving. 556 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:06,000 She rides beautifully. 557 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Luxury. 558 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 It's only about three miles to the cave, 559 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000 but three miles on this fury road feels like an eternity. 560 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:15,000 There's no right side of the road here, 561 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,000 because, well, it all feels wrong. 562 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:22,000 Now wake up, you're gonna fall away. 563 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,000 You'll be covered in the dark. 564 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,000 You're gonna fall away. 565 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,000 You're gonna fall away. 566 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,000 You'll be covered in the dark. 567 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,000 You're gonna fall away. 568 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,000 You'll be covered in the dark. 569 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,000 All right. 570 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,000 End of the road, guys. 571 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Okay, thanks. 572 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Here we go. 573 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,000 All right. 574 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,000 With my spine now permanently realigned, 575 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000 Fio and I follow the landowners to the area 576 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000 where they found the German artifacts and a cave. 577 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:59,000 So the environment here is incredibly challenging. 578 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,000 Pretty much everything around here is covered in thorns 579 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,000 and nettles and things that want to cut you. 580 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,000 There's about 30 snakes that could kill you. 581 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,000 Also, it's about 110 degrees out. 582 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 We end our hike at the edge of a crack in the earth 583 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000 that could swallow us whole. 584 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,000 Oh, my word. 585 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,000 Oh, my word. 586 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,000 That is a cave. 587 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,000 At the foot of a Namibian mountain range, 588 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,000 I'm hunting for a World War I treasure chest 589 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,000 that new evidence suggests might be buried 590 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,000 in this underground cavern. 591 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,000 Oh, my word. 592 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,000 When you said cave, 593 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,000 I was picturing something you could maybe walk straight into. 594 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,000 Yeah, well. 595 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,000 Not the chasm of death here. 596 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,000 Well, that's where the treasure would be safe. 597 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,000 I suppose that's true. 598 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 Okay, the question is how do we get into it? 599 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,000 We use the ladder. 600 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,000 Ladder? 601 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,000 Ladder. 602 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Holy. 603 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,000 The ladder, which is a generous term for some rusted chains 604 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,000 these guys bolted to a cliff, 605 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,000 straight down about 50 feet. 606 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,000 Steady, slow. 607 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,000 No rush. 608 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,000 Looking good, Josh. Keep going. 609 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Yeah, it's looking good. 610 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,000 It's looking great. 611 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,000 This is crazy. 612 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000 As I nervously descend the rickety chains, 613 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,000 I look up to see Theo, who's considerably older than me, 614 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,000 yet moving twice as fast while wearing sandals. 615 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,000 Okay, nice work, nice work. 616 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,000 Oh, come on. Is another ladder? 617 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,000 Sure. 618 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,000 You guys are sinister. 619 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:58,000 Okay. 620 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,000 Okay. 621 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:00,000 Here we go. 622 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,000 Into the darkness. 623 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,000 Yep. 624 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000 Wow, look at these formations. 625 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:11,000 Oh, this is beautiful. 626 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,000 Incredible. 627 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,000 So the items that you guys found around here are iron, 628 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,000 which is something that this would easily pick up. 629 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,000 And then, of course, the treasure, 630 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,000 that was also in a very heavy metal box. 631 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,000 Right, exactly. 632 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,000 So if that's down here, this thing's going to make easy work of finding it. 633 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,000 So let's start by just getting into every chamber that we can. 634 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,000 We'll try to scan this over every inch of floor that we can find. 635 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,000 Okay, we're going to have a look there. 636 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,000 I'll start down here. 637 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,000 So here we can have a look. 638 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,000 I run the detector over every square inch of soft sand I can find. 639 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,000 That's a hit. That's a big hit. 640 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:57,000 Hey, guys. 641 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Yeah? 642 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,000 Guys, I got something over here. 643 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,000 Got a hit back here for sure. 644 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000 It's a really clear signal, so let me pass this back to you. 645 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,000 All right. 646 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000 And let me see if I can pinpoint it. 647 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,000 It's metal. 648 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,000 It's made of metal for sure. 649 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:18,000 I'm under it now. 650 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,000 It's flat, whatever it is. 651 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,000 Okay. 652 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,000 There we are. It's coming out. 653 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,000 And there we are. 654 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000 It looks like a spade head. 655 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,000 That is exactly what it is. 656 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,000 Look at that. It's heavy as hell. 657 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,000 It's iron. 658 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:37,000 Pure iron. Look at that. 659 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,000 That is definitely old. 660 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,000 I would say that probably is. 661 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:42,000 Probably colonial. 662 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,000 I mean, nobody uses tools like this anymore. 663 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,000 This spade head is at least 100 years old, 664 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,000 which would place it in the early 1900s, 665 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:53,000 smack dab in the middle of Namibia's German colonial era. 666 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,000 If you can pass me the metal detector, I'm going to get back here 667 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 and see if we can get anything else. 668 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,000 I mean, this is a sign that not only were people down here, 669 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,000 but they were digging for some reason. 670 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,000 Okay. Let's see what's down here. 671 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,000 Nothing yet. 672 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:21,000 Okay. 673 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,000 I'm not getting anything down here. I'm going to back out. 674 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,000 It's coming out. 675 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,000 Wait. 676 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,000 I think there might be something down here. 677 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,000 I'll take that spade back again. 678 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000 I think I might have left too soon here. 679 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:49,000 More metal. 680 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 More metal. 681 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,000 It's a curved piece of iron, but it's broken. 682 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,000 It's a section of something. 683 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000 I couldn't tell you what. 684 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Here, I'm going to pass it out to you guys. 685 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Okay. Pass it out. Let's have a look. 686 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Well, it's definitely very old and potentially colonial. 687 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Don't worry. I'm happy to stay down here now. 688 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,000 I'm going to go over this whole chamber in here with a fine tooth comb 689 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,000 and see if we can find anything else. 690 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,000 We continue to search every nook and cranny of these chambers 691 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,000 for the rest of the day. 692 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,000 The colonial-era artifacts we've recovered here are promising, 693 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,000 and they'll keep Kyle and Andre on the hunt for more. 694 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,000 Shortly after sunrise, with the required time between dives having passed, 695 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:36,000 Theo and I make our way back to Lake Ochikoto to renew our search. 696 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,000 We have several sonar targets left to investigate, 697 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:43,000 and Theo knows just the person to help narrow them down. 698 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000 Josh, I would like us to make one stop. 699 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,000 Before reaching the lake, 700 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:54,000 Theo is eager to visit a woman with an incredible tale to tell, 701 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,000 one that greatly impacts the investigation. 702 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,000 Ilsa Schatz is a lifelong area resident, 703 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,000 who is so beloved by her community, they named a street after her. 704 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,000 First of all, thank you for taking time to talk with us. I appreciate it. 705 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000 Don't mention it. 706 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,000 We're very interested in the story of this lake, 707 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,000 and I understand that you have a real connection to the story. 708 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,000 Yeah, I do. 709 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,000 When I was younger working at the museum, 710 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,000 an old man approached me and said, 711 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,000 I have a secret. 712 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:31,000 He told me he was a German soldier here in 1915. 713 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,000 And so what did he tell you? What did he reveal to you? 714 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,000 When the Germans were retreating, 715 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:42,000 they dumped their weapons and a heavy safe into Lake Ochikoto. 716 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,000 He took me out to the lake, 717 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,000 and showed me the exact spot where they threw in the box. 718 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,000 I'm on the hunt for a legendary German treasure, 719 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:02,000 cast into Namibia's Lake Ochikoto at the end of World War I. 720 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,000 And we've just heard an incredible account 721 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:08,000 from someone who spoke with a soldier who was there. 722 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,000 And so what did he tell you? What did he reveal to you? 723 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,000 He took me out to the lake, 724 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,000 and showed me the exact spot where they threw in the box. 725 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,000 He told me he was a German soldier, 726 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,000 and showed me the exact spot where they threw in the box. 727 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,000 Did he know what was inside the box? 728 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,000 His thoughts were disclosed. 729 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,000 He thought it was gold? 730 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,000 Because it was so heavy. 731 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,000 So Ilsa, we have a survey map of the lake. 732 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,000 Can you indicate on here where he said that he threw this box in? 733 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:48,000 Here, in the corner. 734 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,000 In terms of this northwest corner, 735 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,000 has this been thoroughly searched over here? 736 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,000 The northwestern corner, 737 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:00,000 it hasn't been searched as intensively as the rest of the lake. 738 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,000 Theo and I jump in our 4x4 and return to the dusty road. 739 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,000 After hearing Ilsa's incredible eyewitness account, 740 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,000 I can't wait to get back to the lake. 741 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,000 One of the deep targets we plan to investigate today 742 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,000 happens to be right under the spot that Ilsa pointed out on the map. 743 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,000 However, investigating is easier said than done, 744 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,000 because the lake is 300 feet deep, 745 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,000 which makes normal scuba diving impossible. 746 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,000 This is a very unique experience for me. 747 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,000 I'm always trying to kind of put myself in the middle of the action, 748 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,000 but this kind of diving is just so beyond anything that I can do. 749 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,000 These guys are going down to more than 300 feet. 750 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,000 This is extremely technical, mathematical diving. 751 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,000 So for today, my mission is to remain topside as a safety for these guys, 752 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,000 and we'll stay in touch throughout their trip, 753 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:53,000 and hopefully they get something good down there. 754 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Okay, a little thruster. 755 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,000 Okay, thrusters look good. 756 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,000 And lights. Check the lights. 757 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,000 I'll work with Dr. Bates and track the divers 758 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,000 using a deep water remote operated vehicle, or ROV. 759 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,000 ROV in the water. 760 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,000 ROV's away. 761 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,000 As the ROV descends into the lake's depths, 762 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000 the divers make their final preparations to do the same. 763 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:26,000 I'm going to hook the strobe at 30 meters so we can find our way back. 764 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,000 Okay, we're seeing your strobe at the bottom of the line. 765 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:37,000 In order to reach the bottom, Chris and his team are breathing a mixed gas 766 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,000 called nitrox, which is carefully monitored by computers, 767 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,000 as well as rebreathers, which recycle exhaled air. 768 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,000 Even with the rebreathers, even with the mixed gas, 769 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,000 their bottom time down in this lake is still incredibly limited. 770 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:56,000 So for safety reasons, they're probably still only going to spend 771 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,000 about 10 minutes or so down there. 772 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,000 So they have to find these targets quickly and figure out what they are 773 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,000 because they just don't have the luxury of time. 774 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,000 Dropping. 50 meters. 775 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,000 Any sign at the bottom? 776 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000 Not yet. Not yet. 777 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,000 70 meters. 778 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:25,000 100 meters. 779 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,000 Can you see the bottom? 780 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,000 Yes. 781 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,000 Head and go. 782 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,000 It's a little hard for us to keep up with you, 783 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,000 so just keep me posted. Let me know if you guys see anything. 784 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:43,000 Copy. 785 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,000 This is a view that almost nobody on Earth has seen, 786 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:57,000 a silent and pitch black landscape more than 300 feet below the surface. 787 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,000 We've got about two minutes in. 788 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 We've got about two minutes in. 789 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000 Josh, I got something here. 790 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Bones. We got bones here. 791 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,000 Did you say bones? 792 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,000 There's bones everywhere. 793 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,000 300 feet below the surface of Namibia's Lake Ochikoto, 794 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:36,000 deep diver Christine Kamp and his team have just made a gruesome discovery. 795 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,000 Josh, I got something here. 796 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,000 Bones. We got bones here. 797 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,000 Did you say bones? 798 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000 There's bones everywhere. 799 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,000 Can you tell what it is? 800 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,000 Looks like a large animal. Maybe something went back to them. 801 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,000 How and when this animal came to rest at the bottom of the lake is a mystery, 802 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000 but it's not the one we're here to solve. 803 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,000 With time running short, the team moves toward the sonar hit. 804 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000 I think we found the target. 805 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,000 Chris, what are you seeing? 806 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,000 Beautiful old wood spot. 807 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,000 You're seeing a boat? 808 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000 That's awesome. What's it look like? 809 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:25,000 Boat is buried in salt, up to the gun holes, but inside, most of the eggs are here. 810 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,000 Wow, amazing. 811 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,000 This is a piece of hidden history. 812 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:37,000 A boat, likely from the German colonial period, which is frozen in time in the darkness of the lake 813 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:41,000 and pinpointed from 300 feet above by our sonar scans. 814 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,000 Chris, anything around it at all that you can see? 815 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,000 No sign of a heavy sand down there, no sign of a treasure. 816 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,000 Sadly, no. 817 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000 Copy that. 818 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:55,000 The team moves quickly, examining the other targets around the boat. 819 00:39:55,000 --> 00:40:01,000 They see bottles and other debris that sank down from the surface, but their bottom time is up, 820 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,000 and so the search for the gold comes to an end. 821 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000 Let's head to the surface. 822 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:14,000 They ascend slowly, stopping at intervals to carefully bleed off nitrogen along the way. 823 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,000 Here we go. 824 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:16,000 There we go. 825 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,000 The tiger's on surface. 826 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,000 Welcome back. How you doing? 827 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:22,000 I'm good. 828 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,000 Well, that was pretty cool. 829 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,000 Yeah, we found the little boat. 830 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,000 How long do you reckon that boat's been down there for? 831 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,000 It comes from the German area, so the boat is a hundred years old boat. 832 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:37,000 The boat inside is that deep, but outside is only that much. 833 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,000 The rest is all silted? 834 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,000 The rest is all silted. 835 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,000 Wow. 836 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,000 So it just proves how things get silted up. 837 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,000 Do you think it's possible that this safe is down there and it never gets found? 838 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,000 Someone will find it some days. 839 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Good night today. 840 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,000 Good night today. 841 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,000 Our African adventure has been a thrilling and dangerous quest. 842 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:03,000 Cutting-edge sonar is giving us the first-ever look at the true size and shape of this otherworldly lake. 843 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:08,000 Our dives illuminated World War I cannons, ammunition containers, 844 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,000 and a perfectly preserved historic boat. 845 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:17,000 And on land, colonial-era artifacts could mean the golden treasure is tucked away deep in a rock. 846 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:22,000 For now, the puzzle of the treasure lives on, as does the will to solve it. 847 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:28,000 The men risking their lives to explore Ocicoto are as rugged and persistent as the wilderness they live in. 848 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:33,000 And perhaps with time and technology, they may just crack the case. 849 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:39,000 But a creeping feeling came over me in the dark waters of the so-called bottomless lake. 850 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:44,000 It felt to me like a place man isn't meant to be. 851 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:49,000 Even if the treasure is down there, something tells me the lake wants to keep it for itself.