Wiki Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Kevin Dykstra is a real-life modern-day treasure hunter who brings history to life as an unlikely reality star of The History Channel’s show ‘Curse of the Civil War Gold’.
- While searching for a sunken boxcar containing lost gold from the American Civil War, Kevin discovered the hull of a ship named the ‘Le Griffin,’ a 17th Century ship at the bottom of Northern Lake Michigan.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Kevin is a native of Muskegon, Michigan. His father was a paediatrician.
- Albert (Al) and Darren Dykstra, Kevin’s brothers accompany him on his adventures.
Early Life and Education :
- Born on August 30, 1963, little is known about Kevin’s early life and education, although he has always been interested in history particularly that surrounding Michigan.
Career, Income, Salary and Net Worth :
- Kevin works as a facilities director at the Cavalry Christian School, Michigan.
- A lifelong obsession with finding the lost confederate gold led him through years of research, all the time believing that he could finally solve one of America’s greatest mysteries.
- On a dive looking for the gold, Kevin instead, discovered the hull of the 17th-century ship thought to be Le Griffin.
- 2011 was the year Kevin discovered the ship’s wreckage but kept it quiet until further research was carried out and he had consulted with state archaeologists.
- In 2014, he announced his theory about the gold and that the ships hull was indeed Le Griffin.
- Three public presentations at Fruitport Cavalry Christian School saw local sceptics turn to believers in the story.
- Following an interview on Skype, Kevin found himself with a job as a treasure hunter trying to prove his theory.
- In late 2018, the first episode of Kevin’s show ‘The Curse of the Civil War Gold’ was aired on the History Channel. On making the TV series, he stated “This is fun, not like work”.
- A second series is currently in the making as Dykstra firmly believes the gold is in a boxcar at the bottom of the lake. The value of the gold in the box car is thought to be $2 million worth $140 million today.
Interesting Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Kevin has been obsessed with the story of the lost gold since 1972, when a friend first told him about it. The story is alleged to have begun following a deathbed confession of a lighthouse keeper in 1921.
- During filming, Kevin encountered a scary moment and had to be pulled out of the water as he got into difficulty when his oxygen tank hit the side of the boat as he made a dive. It is alleged that he broke his hip.
- As a keen diver, Kevin doesn’t let the weather get in the way of his treasure hunting.
- For the promotion video on Michigan Live, Dykstra used props from his school to present his theory of how the gold was deliberately sunk.
- Kevin’s theory has been bought into question when during a dive gold bars were found, only to be discovered that the bricks were reportedly only painted in gold. Some skeptics believe that these were planted in order to make a television program or that the gold has already been ‘stolen’ and replaced.