Viswa Vanapalli
The island of Adak is located in the Bering Sea and is part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The city of Adak is considered to be the southernmost city in Alaska. Towards the end of 1892, a pirate captain named George Dwargstof is said to have buried multiple cans filled with gold coins that have since been lost to time. Netflix’s ‘Pirate Gold of Adak Island’ has Adak’s mayor, Thomas Spitler, bring together a group of experts that try novel ways to find the buried gold. So, if you’re curious about Thom and his plan, here’s what we know.
Who is Thom Spitler?
During the Second World War, Adak served as a substantial military base during the fight against the Japanese army. The island is closer to Japan than it is to the west coast of the United States. According to the show, Adak’s population is currently down to only 45 residents and is on the brink of economic collapse. This led mayor Thom to find anything that could kickstart the economy.
Hence, Thom decided to try and locate the 148 cans of gold that are said to have been buried all over the island. He put a lot of time into recruiting four people with different areas of expertise to try and find the treasure. With Brian Weed, Jay Toomoth, Burke Mitchell, and Dr. M Jackson, Thom put together a team with a unique skill set. However, they only had a short window of time before the weather would make it impossible to mount a search.
On the show, Thom talked about how the first can was found in 1943 by a soldier during World War II, with another one being found in 1959. At the start, the team focused on a location they called Army 1, where the first can was found. But even before the search began, they had to do the groundwork and deal with the issue of unused bombs left behind by the military forces after the base closed in 1997.
Where is Thom Spitler Today?
According to the show, the bombs were left behind, scattered across the landscape with no real records of their locations. This was where Thom’s expertise came into the picture. He is a bomb disposal tech with over two decades of experience, disposing of over 4000 rounds of unexploded ordnance. Thom used a specialized military-grade metal detector to mark areas that might have a bomb underneath, helping the rest of the team navigate the field safely as a result. Currently, Thom is still the mayor of Adak, in addition to holding a city council seat. The latter’s term would expire in October 2022.
Read More: Where is Brian Weed Now?
