Larry Ricard believes he has discovered Slumach's gold.
The 61-year-old, who grew up in Port Coquitlam, has been searching for the legendary treasure with his twin brother ever since they were children.
Then in September 2019 they made, what he calls a "significant" discovery, in an underwater cave. Using a stick and a cell phone camera, they discovered hyalite opal in the cave and what they believe is a gold bar. The entrance to the cave, though, is too small for an adult to fit through.
But, tragedy would strike the men. In November that same year, Ricard's brother passed away after a heart attack, and since then Ricard has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Now he is hoping to find help to retrieve what they discovered, and find out, once and for all, whether it is the fabled gold.
Legend has it that a Katzie First Nation man named Slumach discovered gold somewhere at the north end of Pitt Lake. This was around 1915, during the time of what was known as the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. However, according to slumach.ca, prospectors made money guiding gold hunting parties and needed a good story to attract people.
But, in the 1940s, stories surfaced about Slumach, who was said to frequent bars, paying with raw gold.
Slumach would be sentenced to death after being accused of the murder of a man named Louie Bee. If he did find gold, he took his secret to the grave. But many still believe there is treasure to still be found.
Ricard's first experience searching for the treasure was at the age of 13, when his father dropped him and his brother at Pitt Lake with their 12 foot boat, which had a six horse motor.
His father and other old timers had told the boys they would never go back there because they are scared of the curse and the fact that it's a miserable lake.
"The last time coming out there were four to five foot swells," said Ricard's first mate 56-year-old Chris Jenkins.
"It can get rough," added Ricard, noting that Slumach, himself, didn't have climbing gear, he didn't have a power boat to get there. He rode there by canoe.
"And if you ever canoed in Pitt Lake you'll know what it's like. Not easy. Then walking in the mountains is even harder," so, Ricard figured, the treasure would have to be somewhere where an old guy could get to.
Then in 2019 they made this discovery underwater.
"First we seen the gold bar," he said. Then they discovered a perfectly white quartz vein and the hyalite opal.
"It's the most amazing thing you've ever seen in your life," said Ricard, who has photographs of the opal, which glow green in the images.
However, Ricard says, once you get inside, what seems like a narrow cave, opens up into the most amazing the cavern, filled with stalactites. He estimates the cavern to be about 10 feet by 20 feet in size. But he can only get his camera in about eight feet.
Ricard is hoping to get in touch with young indigenous historian Taylor Starr, who is involved with the television show History Channel's 'Deadman's Curse'.
He also wants to involve local First Nations and to figure out legally 鈥� and physically 鈥� how to go about retrieving the find.
"I'm just a dime operation. I don't have thousands and thousands of dollars to get the equipment that I need," he said.
Most importantly, though, he wants to retrieve the discovery in honour of his brother and to explore the cave even more.
The last time he was out at the site was in the fall of this year. He claims there's a fortune in the cavern.
"I've seen it with my own eyes. I know what I've seen," he said.
