Nova Scotia

Fans mourn cast member from The Curse of Oak Island

Fans of The Curse of Oak Island are mourning Dan Blankenship, a cast member of the History Channel show.

Dan Blankenship has been involved with the search for treasure since 1965

Dan Blankenship, pictured in a 2003 file photo, searched for treasure at Oak Island, N.S., for more than 50 years. He passed away on March 17, 2019. (CBC)

Fans of the show The Curse of Oak Island are mourning cast member Daniel Blankenship.

On Monday, the Facebook group Friends of Oak Island announced Blankenship had died. He was 95.

Blankenship had been involved with the History Channel show that's produced by Halifax-based production company Tell Tale since it began in 2014.

In a YouTube video promoting the show, Blankenship said he first became involved with the search for the Nova Scotia island's legendary treasure in 1965. He said he had been to the island steadily since about 1970.

Blankenship said he first read about Oak Island in an issue Reader's Digest. He was living in Florida at the time.

He said after reading the article, he was convinced there was treasure on the island and said he would be instrumental in finding it.

Dan Blakenship at drill site on Oak Island, N.S., in 1976. (Submitted by Paul Sampson)

MORE TOP STORIES