A new season of The Curse of Oak Island premiered earlier this month, putting the Lagina brothers back in the spotlight as they search for treasure on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island. Still missing from the cast, though, was Dave Blankenship.
Dave and his father, Dan Blankenship, were part of Oak Island for its first six seasons. Dan spent 50 years excavating Oak Island and looking for treasure before his death in 2019. But following that loss, Dave stepped away from the show himself.
Scroll down for everything we know about Dave’s exit from The Curse of Oak Island.
Why did Dave Blankenship leave The Curse of Oak Island?
Dave’s exit from the show was never addressed. However, in an interview with The Oak Island Compendium, he said, “When the movie (TV) crew went from the Restall [family] to the Laginas and left my dad’s 50 years out, I quit, but they wanted me to retire instead and we did a ‘Drilling Down’ as my last show.”
He later reiterated that he felt like the show slighted his father, adding, “They left dad’s 50 years out and if it wasn’t for him, David [Tobias] would have quit looking, as dad became the man in the field for David.”
A screenshot of an alleged Facebook comment made by Dave about his reason for leaving has also made the rounds online. In the alleged comment, he wrote, “I have quit the show when they left 50 years out of my dad and went Restall to Laginas. That night I quit and they will not say anything about me.”
At the time of the 2023 interview, Dave said he had not spoken to the Laginas in two years.
How did Dave Blankenship get injured?
In 1986, Dave was involved in an accident that left him partially paralyzed and “somewhat” disabled on one side. He opened up about the construction accident on The Curse of Oak Island, per Mysteries of Canada.
Dave was working on a jobsite while a five-ton air compressor was being unloaded from a tractor-trailer with a crane. Part of the crane snapped off, and the cable hit Dave behind the knees, tossing him into the cab of the crane. He fell through the windshield, and the strap of his construction helmet pinched his carotid artery, which led to a stroke.
He was briefly in a coma but survived. “The doctors told mom and dad that I was going to be a vegetable and never get out of bed again. They forgot to tell me!” Dave recalled. He was unable to walk, talk, and perform basic functions, but eventually regained control of most of his body. Nerve damage has left his left side numb to this day, but it hasn’t stopped him from working hard.
What is Dave Blankenship doing now?
Dave does not have a social media presence, so it’s unclear what he’s up to today. In his interview with the Oak Island Compendium, he revealed that he and his wife, Garnette, plan to stay on Oak Island.
“[My house] is paid for, I see no reason to sell it,” he shared. “I may buy a house on the mainland and rent this one out for the summers.”
The Curse of Oak Island, Season 13, Tuesdays, 9/8c, History Channel
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