The DMT shaft advances quickly through undisturbed ground, with project manager Vanessa reporting 32 feet of casing and no wood from previous searcher activity. Charles Barkhouse notes the caisson has just clipped the south edge of the Chappell Shaft, confirming the new hole is in fresh territory. In the War Room, Rick Lagina, Gary Drayton, and historian Doug Crowell contact Zena Halpern, the New York-based researcher whose 14th-century Templar map first connected the Rochefoucauld family to Oak Island. Zena examines photos of the lead cross and offers an unexpected interpretation: rather than a depiction of Christ crucified, she identifies the figure as a representation of Tanit, a Phoenician goddess dating back 3,000 years who was revered as the protector of sailors and worshipped from North Africa to the Middle East. She argues the rounded, embracing arms and triangular body are characteristic of Tanit iconography rather than Christian crucifixion imagery. Rick and Gary, who had both assumed the object was a Christian cross, are surprised but agree the theory requires further expert analysis.
Rick and Charles begin draining the northern apex of the triangle-shaped swamp on the Nolan property, a location Fred Nolan believed corresponded to the Masonic all-seeing eye and potentially concealed a tunnel entrance to the Money Pit. Tom Nolan has granted permission for the work, and the Canadian government has approved the dig. On Lot 12, Jack Begley, Charles, and Gary continue excavating the dumpsite marked on Fred's maps, where they recover two decorative iron hinges that Gary identifies as the type used on chests or boxes, similar to ones he has found on Spanish shipwreck sites. The hinges raise the possibility of a connection to the three missing chests of privateer Captain James Anderson and to the folding skeleton key Fred Nolan found on the island. Additional pottery shards confirm the team has located the full extent of the dump.
At 77 feet, the DMT caisson strikes something the Irving crew cannot penetrate. Oscillator operator Danny employs a four-ton steel chisel bit as a vertical battering ram, dropping it repeatedly onto the obstruction. The object resists every attempt. When Jack and Gary begin sorting the spoils, they find cutting teeth sheared from the caisson, eventually counting 11 of the 36 original teeth destroyed. Mike J. from Irving confirms the drill is sitting on something extremely hard with no record of any casing or previous work at that location and depth. Dave Blankenship examines the damage and agrees the situation is critical.
Rick calls Marty with the news. Two options emerge: pull the entire casing, replace the teeth, and restart the shaft offset by a foot and a half, or lower a camera to identify the obstruction before deciding how to proceed. The team opts for the camera, hoping to understand what lies below before committing to a costly restart. The setback arrives at the worst possible moment, with the season's budget nearly exhausted and the window for heavy equipment operations closing.
