The next four deaths of treasure hunters on Oak Island all occurred in the same incident. Starting in 1959, Robert Restall, his son Robert Jr., and a team of hired laborers began their quest for the fabled treasure. Certain that the treasure was the buried loot from Captain Kidd, Restall spared no expense in his pursuit. Their search lasted six years, cost Restall $200,000, created over 200 boreholes, and only ended after the aforementioned four deaths.
During a dig in August, Restall entered a hole, seemingly unaware that it had intersected a pocket of natural gas (reported as either hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, or just "swamp gas"). Restall lost consciousness and Robert Jr. went in after him, also losing consciousness. Three of their laborers then attempted a rescue, with only one of them, a lucky man by the name of Andy DeMont, returning from the hole alive. Restall, his son, Cyril Hiltz, and Karl Graeser all died, bringing the death toll from the Oak Island treasure hunt to six. Despite the tragedy, attempts to locate the lost bounty continued, and within two years another private company had formed and sailed to the island seeking fame and fortune.
