- 5 hours ago
Josh joins local divers in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar to search for the ancient cursed Golden Bell of King Dhammazedi. To recover it, Josh dives into murky, violent waters that have claimed the lives of other divers.
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00:01People have died out here?
00:05It's, without doubt, the most dangerous arriving in the world.
00:15A little concerned I'm getting kind of far appealed.
00:18It's going to help me.
00:22Ah, Josh, do you copy? Over.
00:28Ah, Josh, do you copy?
00:31Has he responded?
00:43Imagine if the Liberty Bell, one of America's great national treasures,
00:47was stolen by criminals, loaded onto a barge, only to sink in the Delaware River.
00:52It sounds outlandish, but a very similar scenario took place in the nation of Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
00:58When a treasured bell was stolen hundreds of years ago.
01:03In the 15th century, King Damazzetti decided to make a gift for his people.
01:08So he melted huge quantities of gold and silver and produced the largest bell in the history of the world.
01:14A 300-ton, 18-foot-tall treasure.
01:20It was housed in the country's most sacred temple.
01:23But many believed it was cursed.
01:25Then, in 1608, a Portuguese mercenary stole the bell and loaded it onto a raft.
01:31But the enormous weight tore the barge to bits.
01:35And the bell sank to the bottom of the river.
01:40But now, the Myanmar government believes newly found historical documents will lead them to the prize.
01:46Meanwhile, a team of foreign divers are mounting their own search using cutting-edge sonar.
01:52But locals are wary, since they believe that powerful spirits guard the bell.
01:59Decades of strict military rule have made Myanmar one of the most closed-off nations in the world.
02:05But the doors are finally creaking open.
02:08I plan to be one of the first outsiders to document the historic search for this legendary treasure.
02:15And the hunt begins right now.
02:23My name is Josh Gates.
02:26With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration,
02:30I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.
02:34There has got to be a better way to make a living.
02:38My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history.
02:44We're going to try. Let's go.
02:46This is Expedition Unknown.
02:57This is the city of Bagan.
03:00It's where the original Burmese kingdoms were born.
03:02It's also in many ways the spiritual heart of this country.
03:05This is a place that I have wanted to visit for years.
03:08But it has been off-limits to the outside world under the thumb of military rule.
03:13Well, times change.
03:15Welcome to Myanmar.
03:16A little orientation.
03:29The search for the cursed bell of Damazeti is taking place in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon.
03:34But I'm starting my expedition about 400 miles to the north, here in the rural outpost of Bagan.
03:39Before I join the hunt, I need to immerse myself in Myanmar's unique culture.
03:48Tanaka?
03:49Tanaka.
03:50Yeah.
03:51This is Tanaka, a paste made from the bark of sandalwood.
03:54And you see it on just about everybody here in Myanmar.
03:56It's kind of an all-in-one makeup, sunscreen, and moisturizer.
04:00How do I look?
04:01Oh, a mirror.
04:02It's like a salon.
04:04Oh, yes.
04:05Very nice.
04:06Myanmar.
04:07Myanmar.
04:08That's what they call me.
04:09Mr. Myanmar.
04:13This country admitted few foreigners until recently.
04:16And while the locals can be shy, it doesn't take long to realize that they're also incredibly good-natured.
04:21Here, can I carry?
04:22Can I carry for you?
04:23Here, I'll help.
04:24Here we go.
04:25How hard could this be?
04:36Everyone's trying to help.
04:37Yours is way easier.
04:41Oh, that's so embarrassing.
04:42Okay, I got it.
04:43Let's go.
04:46I'm going to carry it like this.
04:48I'm starting to feel comfortable here in Bagan, but that doesn't mean this country is easy to understand.
04:55Maps of this region have been redrawn so many times, it's nearly impossible to keep track of.
05:01For a thousand years, feuding kingdoms were in a constant state of war.
05:05In time, the country unified, then fell under British rule and was rechristened British Burma.
05:11Independence followed, as did a civil war that has dragged on for nearly 60 years.
05:18Now, the country has been rebranded Myanmar, and the military-backed government is issuing in many democratic reforms.
05:27What happens next is anybody's guess.
05:29So far, I feel totally welcome here, though there is one downside to being a foreigner.
05:38We're forbidden from renting gas-powered motorcycles.
05:42And since my next stop is on the outskirts of the city, I have only one option.
05:46I present to you the very small Chinese electric scooter.
05:58Go around. Go around. Go around. I'm on a ridiculous Chinese scooter.
06:03Have a good day.
06:04The plains of Bagan are littered with Buddhist temples. Lots of Buddhist temples.
06:12And it's where my hunt for the great Damazetti bell begins.
06:15Go around.
06:19In the middle of the 9th century, King Anuratha united the region under Theravada Buddhism.
06:23Over the next 250 years, an estimated 10,000 monasteries, temples, and pagodas sprang up on the dusty plains of Bagan.
06:33Today, over 2,000 remain in every shape and style imaginable.
06:37Many in Myanmar believe that strange Buddhist spirits, known as gnats, are protecting the bell.
06:47To learn more, I'm going to one of the holiest places in all of Myanmar.
06:52The temple at Mount Popa.
06:54Come on, girl. Come on, girl. Come on, girl.
06:59This thing is just screaming at me in Chinese.
07:04It's like the Chinese Jar Jar Binks.
07:09Yeah, Misa, Misa, make a big mistake. I get it.
07:12Oh, God, a hill. This is it. This is the end. And I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dead. It's over.
07:17The bike's dead.
07:19What? I'm off. What else do you want from me?
07:25It's clear I need to find another way to get to Mount Popa, and though Myanmar doesn't have Uber, it's not hard to flag down a ride.
07:32Can I have a ride? Yeah? It's okay? This is what I'm talking about.
07:38Mount Popa, here we come.
07:47Hi. Hi. I feel like I'm running for mayor. Hi.
07:51It's pretty amazing up here. Just have to watch out for the power lines.
08:08This is our stop. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, I reach my destination, the base of the soaring temple of Mount Popa.
08:15The shrine is known as the home of the Nats, powerful and enigmatic spirits worshipped by the people of Myanmar and rumored to guard the missing bell.
08:32Mount Popa is one of the most spiritual sites in all of Myanmar. Unfortunately for me, it's 2,500 feet up off the ground.
08:38It's exactly 777 stairs from the bottom to the top. So like all Buddhist holy sites, you can't wear your shoes.
08:55Which normally wouldn't be a problem, but there are 777 stairs of monkey poop here at Mount Popa.
09:03Oh, man. This is a lot of stairs.
09:09774, 775, 776, 777.
09:16Boy, there better be a zip line down from this thing.
09:22I've arranged to meet with Mr. Sway, a Myanmar historian who is deeply connected to local religious leaders.
09:28Sway.
09:29Oh, hi, Mr. Jos.
09:30Mingalava.
09:31Mingalava.
09:32Mingalava.
09:33Mingalava.
09:34Mount Popa is what we call the spirit, that holy place.
09:38And what are Nats?
09:39So Nats is, you know, the people who will be dying and then they became the spirit.
09:43So it's like a ghost.
09:44Yeah, like a ghost.
09:46Nats are unique to Myanmar and have been folded into Buddhism here.
09:49There are 37 major Nats and countless minor ones.
09:52Almost all were humans who met violent deaths.
09:56Today, they act as guardians and are considered very powerful.
10:02Why would these Nats curse the bell?
10:04Because, you know, the bell was stolen by the Portuguese people.
10:07Mm, right.
10:08So the Nats are very angry.
10:11So the Nats protect the bell and curse others from finding it.
10:14So how do I find the bell?
10:15We have to, you know, ask, you know, some spirit, you know?
10:18We have to ask the Nats?
10:19Ask the Nats, yes.
10:22Mr. Sui has agreed to take me into a temple where people not only pray to the Nats,
10:26but are able to conjure them as well.
10:32As we step inside to observe this strange ritual, I have no idea what to expect.
10:46I'm at a temple in Bagan, Myanmar, as part of my quest to find the legendary Damazeti bell.
10:52Many locals believe that supernatural entities called Nats spirits guard this lost treasure.
10:58As we head into the temple, I'm expecting a solemn religious ceremony.
11:04Instead, I find this.
11:05Hey, hey, hey!
11:15To me, the cacophony of horns and drums sounds like a nightmare version of the Star Wars Cantina Band.
11:21But apparently, the Nats spirits like to party.
11:24So they are praying to the Nats spirits?
11:26Yeah, they are praying, yeah.
11:27What happens when they dance?
11:29When they dance, spirits come inside.
11:31So when they over, they don't know what happens.
11:32They don't know what happens.
11:33Ah, I see. It's like in a trance.
11:35Yes, like a trance.
11:38The dancers are mediums who attempt to channel the spirits.
11:42Oh, and they're also transvestites, who, according to local tradition, connect with the Nats as their spirit wives.
11:49They like the beauty, right?
11:50The spirits like the beauty?
11:51Yes, of course.
11:52Uh-huh.
11:55Each of the 37 Nats oversee a different aspect of life.
11:58Are you a kid who's struggling in school?
12:01Just give a toy to Shi Nemi.
12:03Problems at home?
12:04Offer some fried chicken to Min Mahagiri.
12:07Or appease the flower-eating gnat, Mewuna.
12:10There's even Lord Kaiosua, or the drunk gnat.
12:13He's the patron saint of gamblers.
12:15Just bring him some smokes and booze, and he's got your back.
12:18He's the party spirit.
12:19He is the party spirit.
12:20This is my kind of gnat.
12:21These spirits may seem outrageous, but many Myanmar people believe they guard the bell and have cursed it from being found.
12:33And since their blessing is seen as vital, I'm joining in.
12:35I need to appeal to Yu Shin Ji, the spirit of the water, represented by the Naga serpent.
12:46The mediums channel his spirit and go into a sort of trance.
12:51After placing a Naga crown on my head, the possessed medium attempts to transfer the spirit to me.
12:56I don't know what just happened, but I'm a changed man.
13:10Whew!
13:11Where am I?
13:13Having had my first audience with the gnat spirits, I really do feel energized by this one-of-a-kind ceremony.
13:19I've also made some killer new Facebook friends.
13:21I'm ready.
13:22Let's go find a bell.
13:26Now that I've been blessed by the spirits believed to be protecting the Damozetti bell, I'm traveling to the scene of the crime.
13:35Having hitched a ride to the airport, I'm flying 400 miles south to the city of Yangon.
13:40This is Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. The name Yangon means the end of strife, which is ironic because this city has had one of the most tumultuous histories in all of Southeast Asia.
13:53It began as a simple fishing village. By the time King Damozetti cast his great bell in 1484, it had blossomed into the capital of a Buddhist kingdom.
14:06But by the 19th century, the British, the British, already in control of neighboring India, were hungry for more.
14:24After three bloody wars, Burma fell under colonial control. This city became Rangoon, one of the jewels of their empire. The London of the East.
14:38Today, colonial buildings gracefully haunt every corner of the city, crumbling memories of another age. The modern city of Yangon that has emerged is struggling to shape a new identity.
14:53Ancient temples now double as traffic circles, and there are as many high rise developments as Buddha statues, some of which are themselves the size of buildings.
15:03And at the city center is a shining star.
15:13This is the Shwedagon Pagoda. Walking around in here is like being inside a gold ornament. Everything is glittering.
15:21This is the last location of Damozetti Bell. It is the most spiritual site for Buddhists in Myanmar. And I have to be honest, it may be the most beautiful temple in the world.
15:35The temple is like a small city, dripping in 20 tons of gold.
15:40It is a hub for meditation, prayer, and rites of passage.
15:54I can't help but notice that everywhere you look, there are bells.
15:57Bells are incredibly significant in Buddhist religion. They can be used as calls to prayer, but just the ringing of a bell is actually a prayer in and of itself. If you make an offering to the temple, if you make an offering to Buddha, you ring a bell three times. Just hearing that bell can actually bring someone good karma.
16:15Some bells are small, others are not.
16:19Nearby is the Mahaganda bell.
16:22It's one tenth the size of the Damozetti bell and was once stolen by the British.
16:27It too fell into the river, but was recovered and returned to the temple.
16:31If it can happen once, why can't it happen again?
16:35That's just what this man hopes. Author Chit San Wyn is a government minister and one of the world's foremost experts on the lost bell.
16:42So, tell me about the Damozetti bell here at the Shwedagon Pagoda.
16:49The sacred bell was here from 1484 to 1608, but it was then stolen by the Portuguese. His name was de Brito.
17:01Portuguese warlord, Felipe de Brito e Nicote wrestled control of this area in 1599.
17:06He then started defiling Buddhist shrines and eventually stole the great Damozetti bell, which he wanted to melt down and turn into cannons.
17:15It is said that he took the bell and rolled it downhill. From the Shwedagon Pagoda, he probably brought the bell to Posadong Creek.
17:22From there, it was lashed to a raft behind de Brito's warship. The plan was to get the bell to de Brito's fortress across the river at Than Lin.
17:29But at the convergence of the creek, Bago River, and the Yangon River, the bell, raft, and de Brito's warship all sank.
17:39Tell me about the searches this summer.
17:42It was a major event. Thousands of spectators. There were many local divers.
17:47Did they find anything?
17:49They thought so, but it turned out to be debris.
17:52Why do you think it has been so hard to find the bell?
17:58Because all we know is that the bell was lost where the rivers meet, but we have new data that may redefine where that really is.
18:06Wow.
18:07Mr. Wynn's team has been studying centuries-old charts, and while everyone has been searching in the center of the rivers, Wynn now believes these banks were once wider, which means their center would be further north.
18:19In other words, everyone may have been looking in the wrong place.
18:22So how is the search progressing now? Who would you direct me to?
18:26The team is about to dive in the new location. We think this could be the spot.
18:30Coming up, people have died out here? It's without doubt the most dangerous diving in the world.
18:49I'm in Yangon, Myanmar, looking for the largest bell in the world.
18:54I'll be joining a government-sponsored team on the other side of the river who are searching for this sunken national treasure.
19:01As Yangon tumbles into the 21st century, the river is a snapshot of economies big and small.
19:11From massive freighters to rundown skiffs and just about everything in between, it is a chaotic ballet with no discernible choreography.
19:20What do we have here?
19:24No, too small.
19:26Sir, you wear a lot of different hats. That's an expression.
19:30How much are these?
19:31$2.
19:32Okay I'll take it.
19:33Aaahh!
19:35Come on!
19:36Aahh!
19:38Aahh!
19:40Aahh!
19:41Aahh!
19:43Aahh!
19:44The government team I'm joining is very serious about the spiritual nature of the bell.
19:58So before I meet them, I've been advised to pick up a specific Buddhist offering.
20:03To do that, I need to jam over to the local market.
20:06Can I have a ride?
20:07Yeah.
20:07Okay, you sure this will hold me?
20:09Yeah, okay, no problem.
20:10Well, don't be so sure.
20:14Good morning.
20:24Ow.
20:26Shots on this bad boy are not great.
20:30Good Lord.
20:33We're here?
20:34Yeah, I'm here.
20:35Great.
20:39Southeast Asian markets are a revelation.
20:41Just about every single food imaginable, plus 50,000 more that you never knew existed.
20:47Like, what is this?
20:49No idea.
20:55Look at that.
20:56Brains.
20:58The old bag of brains.
21:00It's a classic.
21:01I'm getting hungry just looking at it.
21:02Custom dictates that I bring something to the docks to appease the spirits guarding the bell.
21:11When you're doing any sort of offering here in Myanmar, it's customary to bring coconuts,
21:16banana, and in this case, something to represent the gnat spirits of the water.
21:20In no time at all, I find a vendor who has everything I need.
21:24Okay, we've got a little coconut throne here with a coconut crown.
21:29This is the fanciest coconut I've ever seen.
21:32Very, very good.
21:33And my bananas.
21:34And this is one of the gnats, one of the spirits here.
21:37This is Ushanji, which is the gnat of the sea.
21:39So this is for protection when going out on the water.
21:42So with this and my coconut and my bananas, we are good to make an offering.
21:47Thank you very much.
21:48With my shopping complete, it's back to the bike for a final, painful ride to the dock.
21:53Everything hurts.
21:57My hips are broken and shattered into pieces.
22:01Coming to the docks.
22:03Everything's broken.
22:07The state-sponsored hunt for the bell is being executed by Commerce Minister U. Wynn Mint.
22:12Are you Mr. Mint?
22:14Here you go here are the offerings for the journey.
22:17It's very nice to meet you.
22:18But before any searching can be done, the offering must be made.
22:22And I notice a Buddhist monk arriving to bless the crew before the mission.
22:31This ceremony is an appeal to the gnats' spirits to keep us safe and guide our search.
22:36With the ceremony complete and the gnats' spirits hopefully appeased, our modest research vessel heads into the river.
22:47This is where you think the bell is located, here in the middle of these three rivers.
23:02He believed in this, please.
23:04We now think we know the true center of the three rivers.
23:08Why do you think it's so important to find the bell?
23:11Why do you want the bell recovered?
23:12My ancestors forged this bell.
23:15I want to see it return to its rightful place for our people and for our country.
23:21And you feel confident that you're going to find the bell?
23:23Yeah.
23:24The government's passion for finding the bell is inspiring, but also incredibly dangerous.
23:35The water is mud, which means zero visibility.
23:39Divers can't see their instruments, let alone the bell, or hundreds of years of twisted, sharp debris.
23:44These waters also have a deadly current that can shift at a moment's notice.
23:49Where the green buoy is, that's the location?
23:53That's the location.
23:54Okay.
23:55So we're approaching the area where the bell is supposed to be.
23:57This is the meeting point of the three rivers from the legend.
24:01The Angon River, Posadon Creek, and the Bago River.
24:04Somewhere beneath us, supposedly, is the bell.
24:07But when we reach the search area where the team recently found mysterious wreckage,
24:11I get a look at the greatest danger facing these divers.
24:14It looks like a gas mask that's been fitted with a piece of plastic.
24:25It's having air fed in from a compressor below deck.
24:28Some homemade straps that's been hand-tied into this rubber tubing.
24:40Yeah.
24:41It's pretty fume-y, but it's air.
24:43This is your weights.
24:44Right.
24:45So this is a big piece of chain with a garden hose on it.
24:48And he's, I guess, going to wear this, and this is what he uses to get down to the bottom of the river.
24:52Fast.
24:59I have been diving for 25 years in every corner of the world.
25:03I have never seen anything like this.
25:07Okay, here we go.
25:08You guys are out of your minds.
25:10This is, in a word, insane.
25:12An aquatic Russian roulette that has already killed several divers.
25:26I'm in Myanmar with the country's official search team looking for the Damazeti Bell,
25:30a priceless golden artifact believed to be lost at the bottom of the Yangon River.
25:35So basically now, we just wait.
25:49From the moment the diver disappears below the surface, a cloud of anxiety descends on the boat.
25:55We collectively stare at the murky water as the minutes creep by.
26:08I see his bubbles.
26:09It's really nerve-wracking because there's really not that much air coming into the mask,
26:17and it's not very clean air.
26:18It's all coming out from the engine.
26:19So the fact that he's been down this long is just kind of nerve-wracking.
26:23Each dive should last no more than five minutes.
26:28Since the further the searchers drift from the boat,
26:31the more likely they'll get tangled in debris at the bottom.
26:35Finally, the men minding the air hose feel a series of pulls on the line
26:41that signifies that the diver wants to be yanked to the surface.
26:44You okay?
26:48So, what did you see down there?
26:51It is very muddy and totally dark.
26:53I could feel debris, but I'm not sure what it is yet.
26:56Tell him I think that he's very brave.
27:01Or very crazy.
27:07This operation is all about repetition.
27:10As soon as one diver surfaces, another hits the water.
27:12It's a nail-biting process that repeats itself
27:15until finally, the current becomes too dangerous to continue.
27:20While the divers report feeling debris at the bottom,
27:23they aren't able to dislodge anything to bring to the surface.
27:26Given the team's limitations,
27:28I can't help but be somewhat skeptical that they'll succeed.
27:31What do you think is going to be required to find this belt?
27:36Faith and hard work.
27:37We need to incorporate new technology in future searches as well.
27:41But it will take both faith and science together.
27:44Thank you, Mr. Min.
27:46Myanmar's official search team clearly has dedication
27:49for finding the Damazeti belt.
27:51However, there's another group that's using advanced equipment
27:54to aid the search.
27:55They've even captured a sonar image of two objects
27:58that might be the belt and the remains of Debrito's ship.
28:01I'm hoping to join them,
28:04so I'm catching a train to their base of operations further upstream.
28:10The rail lines in Myanmar aren't in the best condition,
28:13but they're still the fastest way to get around Yangon.
28:16Welcome aboard the Circle Line.
28:22It's hectic, it's noisy, it's bumpy,
28:24and every day this train makes about a 30-mile circuit
28:27around the city of Yangon.
28:29Ticket price? About 10 cents.
28:31The railroad is like a movable market.
28:34Each station is packed with vendors,
28:35some of which even line the tracks with food.
28:38On board, you can sample bite-sized offerings of betel nut
28:41or stop off at a mobile watermelon stand.
28:43Sharp knife and a moving train is not, I think, advisable.
28:53Very good.
28:56From the train station,
28:58it's a short walk to the riverfront
28:59where I'm meeting Aussie explorer Damien Lay.
29:03So, the Great Bell,
29:05where has everybody been looking?
29:06The legend has it that the bell was lost
29:08at the convergence of the three rivers,
29:10which is the Yangon River,
29:11the Bago River,
29:12and Pauzidong Creek.
29:13So, everybody's kind of placed the bell
29:15right dead center in the convergence
29:17of those three rivers.
29:18They've been very literal about it.
29:19Very literal.
29:20So, rather than kind of focusing
29:22on this particular area,
29:23we've broadened the search
29:24along that entire route.
29:27Why do you think nobody looked there?
29:28Well, nobody looked there
29:29because the British Admiralty charts
29:30tell you that Pauzidong Creek's only a meter deep.
29:33So, probably the bell's not going to be sitting
29:34in three feet of water.
29:35No, but British Admiralty charts
29:37can be wrong.
29:38And lo and behold,
29:39when we took the sonar vessels up there,
29:41all of a sudden,
29:42it starts dropping off,
29:43dropping off down to 12 meters,
29:45and we have this massive channel.
29:47And no one searched it.
29:48And no one searched it.
29:49Wow.
29:50So, as we moved into this channel,
29:52here appears this massive target,
29:54which fits the size and scale
29:57of what the bell is believed to be.
29:59See, the image is something promising out there.
30:01And now what?
30:02Well, we go back out.
30:04We're going to dive it,
30:05collect more sonar data,
30:06and determine what this object is.
30:09Damien and his team
30:10have garnered national acclaim
30:12for their efforts,
30:13and their recent sonar hits
30:14sound very promising.
30:16Down at the dock,
30:17I meet Damien's colleague, Jeremy,
30:19and their local researcher, Anjo.
30:21In short order,
30:22we load up our gear,
30:24fire up the engines,
30:25and begin the search.
30:27We begin by heading
30:36to the convergence of the rivers.
30:38While the government is focused
30:39on the center of the channel
30:41and a point to the north,
30:42Damien believes the target
30:44is nearer to the shore,
30:45in previously unsearched waters.
30:50It's up to Damien and his crew
30:52to safely navigate us
30:53through the local waterways.
30:55No small feat,
30:56considering the number of people
30:58zigzagging through
30:59these shipping lanes.
31:01As we reach the busy
31:02and potentially dangerous
31:03intersection of the three rivers,
31:05we see something unexpected
31:07in our path.
31:08Hold on.
31:09Hang on,
31:10I'm going to get some wake here, guys.
31:11Big time.
31:15What the f*** is this?
31:17Oh, nice.
31:26What is this?
31:50Celebration.
31:51What are they celebrating?
31:52Lies to sing.
31:56I love this song.
31:57Can somebody shazam this song for me?
32:02Bye!
32:03It's the celebration
32:04of another gnat spirit.
32:06How do they think I'm going to?
32:07Forget towing an inner tube
32:09or a wakeboard,
32:10in Myanmar,
32:11they tow Buddhist temples.
32:12It's the craziest river
32:13I've ever been on in my life.
32:17Finally,
32:17we reach the team's
32:18primary search area
32:19close to shore.
32:21We know that
32:21Debrito stole the bell
32:23from the Shwadagong Kiroda.
32:24Do we know which way
32:25to look at them?
32:25There's no documentation.
32:27You know,
32:27if you've got to move
32:28a 300-ton bell,
32:30the most logical way
32:32is get it down to the water
32:33for the Porsong Creek.
32:34The team activates the sonar
32:42as we begin the process
32:43of relocating
32:44the large object
32:45and wreckage
32:46they identified
32:46on their previous expedition.
32:48For generations,
32:49this area went unsearched
32:51because nautical charts
32:52said the water
32:53was too shallow.
32:54But the sonar
32:55paints a very different picture.
32:56So you can see
32:57the jet's dropping now.
32:58You can see the weight
32:59coming into this hole.
33:01We're in almost
33:0130 feet of water right here.
33:03And it's supposed to be
33:03two feet of water.
33:04Those charts
33:05are completely wrong.
33:06The line had got
33:06about 50 feet to go
33:07and we should be
33:08sinking this target.
33:09We're on that
33:09JKS mountain now.
33:11There are swift currents here.
33:13So now that we know
33:14we're in the right place,
33:15we need to pinpoint
33:16the target by nailing it
33:17with what's called
33:18a shot line.
33:19So this big steel weight
33:20is connected to this line
33:22which is connected
33:22to a float.
33:23We're going to try
33:24to relocate
33:24this really promising target.
33:26And once we're
33:27right on top of it,
33:28try to throw this weight
33:29to market.
33:30That way we can circle back,
33:32dive down.
33:33Are you standing by,
33:35Angel?
33:36Oh, here it is.
33:37Go!
33:38Go!
33:42Did you get it?
33:42Yeah, I got it.
33:43Look at that,
33:44right there.
33:45Smack bang,
33:46well done, bro.
33:47Nice work, buddy.
33:48There it is.
33:49What is that?
33:51That's what we've got
33:52to figure out, huh?
33:52I mean,
33:53that looks like a bell.
33:55Yeah.
33:57Okay,
33:58anchors in.
34:00A lot of people
34:01have looked for this bell.
34:02People have died out here?
34:03It's without doubt
34:04the most dangerous
34:04diving in the world.
34:06There were two Navy divers
34:07that got lost out here.
34:08I think in total
34:09there were seven,
34:10seven divers
34:11that have been lost.
34:12If you have a problem
34:13with your gear,
34:13you have a problem
34:14with the snag,
34:15you get caught
34:15in a wreck,
34:16you're gone.
34:17The best you can hope for
34:18is they can pull
34:18your body out.
34:19Well, you're really
34:19selling this to me.
34:20Yeah, here we are.
34:25All diving is done solo
34:27to eliminate the risk
34:28of two divers
34:29getting tangled
34:29by their guidelines.
34:31The extreme conditions
34:32also require
34:33unique precautions.
34:34We use the rope
34:35for rope signals.
34:36Uh-huh.
34:36So when I hit the bottom,
34:37one pull to the surface.
34:39Okay.
34:39One pull return.
34:40Uh-huh.
34:40Four pulls
34:41if something's wrong,
34:42get me out.
34:42All right, you ready to go?
34:43Yeah.
34:44Okay.
34:47With his towline secured
34:51and metal detector in hand,
34:52Damien swims over
34:53to the shotline
34:54and disappears
34:55below the surface.
34:58Josh for Damien,
34:59come in.
35:01Copy.
35:02Josh.
35:02How's it looking there?
35:07Very dark.
35:09And I'm on the bottom now.
35:11Zero visibility.
35:13On a very large
35:16any sense of what it is.
35:23Do you think
35:24it could be the belt?
35:26Getting a lot of hits
35:27on the metal detector.
35:29Copy that.
35:29Okay, we're at five minutes,
35:31giving you one pull
35:32on the rope.
35:33Copy that.
35:35Like the locals,
35:36Damien's dives
35:37are also kept
35:37to just five minutes
35:39to leave plenty of air
35:40on hand
35:40in case he has
35:41to free himself
35:42from debris.
35:42The tether entangled
35:44in the shotline
35:45at the moment.
35:46It's going to take
35:46me a few minutes
35:47to get clear.
35:49Copy.
35:50Damien,
35:51are you okay down there?
35:55Okay, I'm clear.
35:57Time's up.
35:58We're going to pull you back up.
36:02Can you pull you?
36:03Okay, you can pull the beam up.
36:08How'd it go?
36:09No good.
36:10Getting snagged
36:11on debris
36:12is one of the biggest dangers
36:13of diving
36:14in zero visibility.
36:15Damien had to break
36:16his entangled metal detector
36:18and headphones
36:18to free himself
36:19and get back
36:20to the surface.
36:21Oh, it's crazy down there.
36:22There's a lot of debris.
36:23Kind of feels
36:24really much like a wreck.
36:27There's something
36:28quite large
36:29and dome-ish
36:30off the back
36:30which kind of feels
36:31like rock.
36:32Is it a bell?
36:32Is it a boy?
36:33Or is it part of the shipwreck?
36:34I think you better
36:35get your wetsuit on
36:36and get in here.
36:37Do I have to?
36:38Yeah.
36:38If you want to know
36:39what it's like
36:40to look for this, man,
36:41you've got to get in the water.
36:41It's amazing down there.
36:42You know,
36:43it's diving like
36:44you've never experienced.
36:45All right.
36:45Yeah, I'm coming in.
36:46I made a deal.
36:47I said I'd come out here.
36:48All right, let's get me
36:48out of here
36:49and get you in there.
36:50Wait, where did you
36:50get a cigarette?
36:51I took it with me.
36:52They're special
36:53underwater cigarettes, man.
36:54I haven't seen those.
36:56No.
36:56I'm going to be honest.
37:02I don't really want
37:03to do this, really.
37:05People have died
37:06attempting this.
37:07But the opportunity
37:08to take part
37:09in this legendary search
37:10is just too unique
37:11to pass up.
37:12Okay, let's talk
37:14about what it needs to know.
37:15What you've got to understand
37:16is you're probably
37:16the third,
37:18fourth Westerner
37:19in the world
37:20to ever dive
37:20in this location.
37:21Yeah.
37:21You know, you can't see
37:22your gauges.
37:22It's pretty extreme.
37:23If you've got any problems
37:24and you want to come out,
37:25four pulls,
37:26and we'll just pull you
37:27straight out.
37:27Got it.
37:28Okay?
37:28Okay.
37:29All you've got to know.
37:30Give me the full mask.
37:31Yeah, I'll hold you
37:32right shoulder.
37:33All clear.
37:34Ready already?
37:35Yeah.
37:35Here we go.
37:36This is what it looks
37:46like here.
37:47One inch below the surface
37:49and it's pitch black.
37:52Damien, can you read me?
37:55Copy you, Josh.
37:57I'm at the bottom.
37:58Repeat, I'm at the bottom.
38:00I can feel it seems like
38:02some netting
38:02or some degree down here.
38:04Okay, copy that.
38:05So you want to stay clear
38:06of any kind of like
38:07fishing net or netting
38:09or anything that might
38:09be caught up on the
38:10structure.
38:11Do you copy?
38:12Copy that.
38:13I'm avoiding the netting,
38:15trying to look my way
38:16along the bottom here.
38:17I feel something,
38:19something large down here.
38:21Feels like it might be
38:22metal.
38:22I'll bring it to the
38:23surface when I come up.
38:25A little concerned,
38:26I'm getting out
38:27kind of far afield.
38:29Current is really
38:29picking up now.
38:32I'm having
38:32a mean,
38:34it's going to be,
38:34it's going to cut me.
38:42Josh, do you copy?
38:43Over.
38:47Josh, do you copy?
38:49Over.
38:51Hongjo, give him
38:52one pull, Hongjo.
38:54One pull!
38:54Josh, do you copy?
38:55Over.
38:56Anything?
38:57Sure.
38:59Josh, do you copy?
39:00me?
39:06Has he responded?
39:22Josh, do you copy?
39:23Over.
39:23Has he responded?
39:29That current
39:30really turned.
39:31We're going to have
39:31a lot of trouble
39:32getting him out
39:33if we don't get him out
39:33now.
39:34OK, Hongjo,
39:35pull him out!
39:38Pull!
39:39Say, say, say!
39:40Say!
39:41Oh!
39:41Say, say!
39:42Well, I've got to get him out.
40:01OK, you good?
40:03Just don't let go,
40:04all right.
40:06The current has picked up
40:07sharply and nearly dragged me
40:09deep into a field of debris
40:10beneath the surface.
40:12All right, here comes the fun part.
40:14There you go.
40:16There you go.
40:17That's it.
40:18OK.
40:19Ha, ha, ha.
40:21Once the current started to pick up,
40:23it just was like I had no control.
40:25I mean, if I let go of the boat
40:26just then, I would have been...
40:27You would have been gone.
40:28Yeah.
40:28I was only able to pull up
40:29one thing.
40:30Oh, nice.
40:31You see some,
40:32it looks like some riveting
40:33or some bolts that were in here.
40:34So this is obviously not,
40:35you know, from the 17th century.
40:37No, absolutely not.
40:38I mean, that's...
40:39Modern.
40:39That's pretty modern, yeah.
40:40Yeah.
40:41Is this the main sonar hit
40:42or is this just debris
40:44that's piled up on top of it?
40:45There's definitely a wreck there.
40:46Yeah.
40:47And there's definitely something else.
40:48It felt something smooth.
40:49Yeah, something smooth and large.
40:50Yeah, it feels like a rock wreck.
40:51Yeah.
40:52And it's massive, yeah.
40:53Yeah, really big.
40:53But I couldn't get anything off of it.
40:55It just felt like
40:56kind of crusted stone.
40:57Yeah.
40:57But the real problem is
40:58you've got 600 years of junk
41:00on top of it.
41:01Yeah.
41:01Well, this is a piece of the puzzle,
41:02but it's a puzzle
41:04that needs to be solved
41:05in the blind.
41:06You've just got to keep
41:07doing this process
41:07over and over again.
41:09You know, the bell's been waiting
41:09400 years to be found.
41:11I mean, what's another day?
41:12That's right.
41:12Well, thank you.
41:13Man, well done.
41:14Yeah, thanks very much.
41:15I'm seriously impressed with you.
41:17I need a shower and a beer.
41:19In any order.
41:20Yeah.
41:21Can I have a scotch yet?
41:22Yeah, you can have a scotch.
41:23You've earned it.
41:23Let's go.
41:26For four centuries,
41:27people in Myanmar
41:28have looked in vain
41:29for a sacred relic.
41:30It has been costly,
41:32both in money
41:33and in lives.
41:35But Damien
41:35and others like him
41:36are bringing technology
41:38into the equation,
41:39which,
41:40combined with local knowledge
41:41and ingenuity,
41:42may finally lead
41:43to discovery.
41:45Like the country
41:46of Myanmar itself,
41:47the future
41:47of the great bell
41:48of Damazeti
41:49is unknown.
41:51Both have been caught
41:52in political intrigue
41:53that has stretched on
41:54for too long.
41:56I, for one,
41:56believe the bell
41:57will be found,
41:58that it will be returned
42:00to glory
42:00at the Shwedagon Pagoda.
42:03I believe that
42:03because I believe
42:05in the people
42:05of Myanmar.
42:07This country
42:07is infused
42:08with what can only
42:09be described
42:10as magic.
42:12Maybe it's Nat's spirits.
42:14Maybe it's thousands
42:15of years of history.
42:17But whatever it is,
42:19this is a place
42:20of wonders.
42:20tech school
42:36has
42:38done
42:39with
42:39this
42:42and
42:43give
42:44a
42:44piece of
42:49that
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