Series synopsis
Billion Dollar Wreck is an American documentary television series that premiered on History on February 8, 2016. It stars Martin Bayerle, Grant Bayerle and Tim Ferris.
Fifty miles off the coast of Nantucket, 250 feet beneath the Atlantic, lies the RMS Republic and her secret treasure. A famed White Star liner, Republic, set sail three years before her sister-ship Titanic. Like Titanic, she met a similar fate at the bottom of the ocean. As soon as Republic sank, rumors spread of a precious cargo, but Republic has kept her secrets intact for over a century. Until now.
Life-long treasure hunter Martin Bayerle has devoted the past 35 years of his life researching ...
Premise
Fifty miles off the coast of Nantucket, 250 feet beneath the Atlantic, lies the RMS Republic and her secret treasure. A famed White Star liner, Republic, set sail three years before her sister-ship Titanic. Like Titanic, she met a similar fate at the bottom of the ocean. As soon as Republic sank, rumors spread of a precious cargo, but Republic has kept her secrets intact for over a century. Until now.
Life-long treasure hunter Martin Bayerle has devoted the past 35 years of his life researching the Republic and proving the existence of her reputed cargo of 150,000 American Eagle gold coins–a bounty worth a billion dollars in today’s economy. The quest to recover the gold is a siren’s call he’s answered before. In 1987, Martin raised millions of dollars for an expedition to recover her gold, but searched the wrong section of the massive vessel and came home empty-handed. The failure left Martin broke, embroiled in lawsuits, estranged from his wife and, eventually, landed him in prison. Despite this, Martin’s obsession with Republic only grew stronger.
Now, with the help of his estranged son, Grant, Martin is returning to Republic for one last shot at the gold. Armed with three decades worth of new research, Martin is convinced he now knows the precise location of the gold. Together, Martin and Grant will lead a team of salvage divers down the deep, dark and dangerous waters that have held Republic’s bounty hostage for a century.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Martin Bayerle as Himself
- Grant Bayerle as Himself
- Tim Ferris as Himself
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 9 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 9 | February 8, 2016 | April 4, 2016 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Mysterious Treasure of the Republic Martin Bayerle and his estranged son, Grant, return to the wreck that nearly destroyed their family, and begin an expedition which could be their last chance to solve the mystery of the RMS Republic and recover over a billion dollars of treasure. |
February 8, 2016 |
| 2 |
Diver Down Martin unravels more of the mystery behind the Republic's treasure. And, during an attempt to recover the gold a panicking diver has an accident that puts his life in jeopardy and threatens to shut the mission down. |
February 15, 2016 |
| 3 |
Doomed to Repeat When the ship's generator fails, and diver Mark's condition worsens, the crew must head back to port. And a devastated Martin recalls his failed 1987 Republic dive and the crushing effect it had on his life. |
February 22, 2016 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | History |
|---|---|
| First aired | February 8, 2016 |
| Last aired | April 4, 2016 |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Monday at 22:00:00 |